Seaview Developments has begun construction of a £1.8m replacement fire station in Cushendall for the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, a contract that shows regional contractors continuing to win steady emergency-services estate work as ageing stations are replaced.

Seaview Developments, an award-winning family-run contractor incorporated in 1997 and based in Bellaghy, Co Londonderry, delivers residential and commercial projects across Northern Ireland for public and private sector clients.

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, the region's fire and rescue body, operates 68 fire stations across four command areas and is sponsored by the Department of Health, which is funding the project.

The new station will be built alongside the existing 1989 station, which stays operational throughout, before being demolished for a drill tower and drill yard, with completion due by the end of 2027; the facility adds enhanced welfare areas, a recreation area and gym, and electrical generation with battery storage.

NIFRS Chief Fire & Rescue Officer Aidan Jennings said the sod-cutting marks a new chapter for Cushendall and gives firefighters a modern facility supporting their safety and wellbeing, while Health Minister Robbie Butler said the funding reflects the Department of Health's continued commitment to NIFRS.

The project is valued at £1.8m (€2.1m) and supported by Department of Health investment; the contract form and tender route were not disclosed.

Building a replacement alongside a station that stays in service is the delivery model that keeps emergency cover uninterrupted, and it shapes how contractors sequence and price this tier of public work.

The scheme sits within a steady run of station capital works: Maghera Fire Station was refurbished for £772,500 (€904,000) between August 2024 and April 2025, and Cushendall is a step up in scale from that kind of programme.

Capital is also flowing to equipment: a £16m (€18.7m) investment in 47 new vehicles and appliances, including £11m (€12.9m) for 31 fire appliances, was announced in September, showing the Department of Health backing both buildings and fleet.

For the sector, mid-sized emergency-services contracts of this kind sit within reach of regional family-run contractors, giving Northern Ireland firms a dependable pipeline as the station estate is renewed one site at a time.

Source: Belfast News Letter / International Fire & Safety Journal