Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service is still pushing ahead with plans to build a new station at Preston South to replace its current base in Penwortham.

However, assistant chief fire officer Chris Kenny has confirmed its plans to build on a children's play area in Hartington Road near the city's docks are now off the drawing board.

Those plans were halted last year when Preston Council's planning committee voted against the plans following an objection from the Environment Agency that the station would be built on a flood plain.

Chris Kenny, assistant chief officer, said: "The site in Hartington Road became unavailable for our purpose, so our focus fell on the next on our list of stations for replacement, at Fleetwood.

"We will take the opportunity to review the situation for Preston South during the next round of our Emergency Cover Review process which is due to start next spring."

The service's current priorities include replacing stations at Weldbank Lane, Chorley, and the stations in Fleetwood, Blackburn and Burnley.

However, the service's Risk Management Plan 2008-2011 also states that undertaking a "full emergency cover review" is a key priority.

County Coun Bob Wilkinson, chairman of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, said he has asked councillors in Preston to keep seeking suitable sites in Broadgate and Riversway.

He said: "We are constantly looking for a place, it is just a case of finding somewhere suitable and that could happen tomorrow or it could happen next year, but we are looking.

"The facilities at our Penwortham station are not suitable for a modern fire service so it is something we are looking at as a priority.

"As things stand presently, the area to the west of the railway station in Preston is at risk due to there not being adequate cover."