A former Devon fire station could soon be turned into a new brewery and tap house.

The building in Topsham closed in 2020 when the fire service was relocated, but now a planning application has been submitted to Exeter City Council to use the empty site to produce some of Crossed Anchors brewery beers.

The application reflects an increase in the total number of breweries in the UK according to figures released from the SIBA UK Brewery Tracker. The rise is despite the tough economic trading conditions and several closures.

From the start of April to the end of June this year, the tracker shows the net brewery number across the UK grew by two.

SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said: “Seeing the net brewery number rise across the UK is not only a sign that confidence in the sector remains, but that the demand for quality locally made beer continues to rise.

“However there has been a significant number of brewery closures and change of ownership, with some consolidation and buyouts alongside new businesses opening. So while modest growth is ahead of expectations and common perception, it’s not quite the overly positive picture that the headline figures paint.”

The new opening figures highlight the growth in popularity of brewery taprooms, with recent consumer polling showing eight out of 10 people believe a well-run independent brewery has a positive effect on its community. They also believe community-spirit is a sentiment shared by brewers with 98 per cent of SIBA producers saying they consider their community important to them.

Slee continued: “We are still seeing more people discovering the importance of supporting their local businesses, and in particular their brewery taproom, which in many areas are a hugely important community asset.

“All of this said, trading remains challenging with input cost inflation running ahead of prices and the other well documented issues facing the broader hospitality trade.”

According to SIBA there are now 1,826 breweries in the UK.

The South East saw the largest rise with a plus-three increase in brewery numbers, with the Midlands and the East of England also in growth with two more in both regions. Wales had a modest single producer rise overall. The North West, West of England, and South West all ended with no net change while Scotland had the largest decrease with minus three, followed by Northern Ireland on two less and the North East down one.