Fire service to build training village
TWFRSA fire service will build an "all hazards village" to train firefighters in how to tackle different types of emergencies.
Sunderland City Council's planning department approved an application for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services (TWFRS) to build two structures at its Barmston Mere Fire Training Centre in Washington.
The proposed structures will simulate a range of house types for firefighter training exercises, including a two-storey detached house with four bedrooms.
TWFRS said a contractor for the village is expected to appointed in early 2026.
The cost of the training facility will be funded from savings and underspends in previous years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
The service was also recently granted planning permission to extend its existing "rail track simulator" with 15 metres of "additional rail line" and associated infrastructure.
The project aims to allow "enhanced fire service training scenarios on a newly-decommissioned Nexus Metro train".
