A fire station could be built to serve the growing needs of a rapidly expanding coastal town.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service is assessing the need for a station at Peacehaven and Telscombe Cliffs.

There are plans for 185 homes in east Peacehaven, a sewage treatment works and small housing developments.

One possible site for a new fire station is the Brighton Motel in South Coast Road.

Developers want to build 74 homes there but now there are calls for it to be used for a fire station to serve Peacehaven and nearby Newhaven.

The current day-crewed fire station at Fort Road, Newhaven, with retained crews providing night cover, is too small for some training.

Part of the now-closed Brighton Motel site is temporarily being used as a garden centre but that may be forced to close if retrospective planning permission is refused.

Community leaders say the site would be ideal for a full-time fire station.

It takes too long for some appliances to reach north Peacehaven, where there have been fire-related incidents of vandalism, as appliances have to travel from Newhaven or Roedean.

In the last 18 months there have been two major fires in Peacehaven with the Meridian Lodge Hotel and a burger bar, both in South Coast Road, going up in flames. The blazes, which closed South Coast Road, were attended by appliances from elsewhere in East Sussex.

The fire and rescue service could sell Newhaven fire station's plot and build a station on the new site, which would have adequate room for training and a gym.

A service spokeswoman said: "We are keeping an eye on the situation with the potential growth planned for Peacehaven. There is nothing in our five-year plan for a new station but we are carrying out risk assessments for Peacehaven and Newhaven."

Peacehaven Town Council leader John Livings, a member of the East Sussex Fire Authority, said: "We need a fire station more than new homes. The motel site is the only available large site for a fire station. It would be perfect for both Peacehaven and Newhaven if we had a 24-hour fully-manned station on that site.

"People are complaining about the lack of infrastructure in Peacehaven and this is an opportunity to do something about it."

Community activist John Hodgson, spokesman for the pressure group Peacehaven Residents Opposed to Urban Development, said: "A new fire station with 24-hour cover would serve the community better and give greater fire cover for this section of the coast. There would be enough room on the site for a proper gym for the firefighters."