An on-line consultation on the proposals for a new a shared base for Suffolk Constabulary and Suffolk Fire & Rescue Service in Stowmarket has gone live today.

Proposals and information regarding the £3.9m project based in Stowmarket are now available on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s and Suffolk Fire and Rescue’s websites.  The consultation period will close on Sunday 19^th July at 6pm.

The funding for the project will be shared between the two services along with support from the government, which has already been secured. The ongoing partnership has enabled 11 other Fire Stations in Suffolk locations to be jointly shared between these two blue light organisations making Suffolk pioneers of such collaboration.

Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner said: “Working together is absolutely key to meeting the financial challenges that we face. I am very pleased with the existing shared stations across the county; it saves money and improves the joint working of these two-key blue-light services. The public’s view on this initiative is important and I look forward to hearing their views.”

Suffolk County Council’s Cllr Richard Rout, Cabinet Member for Public Protection said: “Our partnership to share property with public sector partners in Suffolk has grown into a great success. We already have 11 shared stations with the Police and joint arrangements are working well. Our plans to develop and improve Stowmarket Fire Station will help us provide staff with modern facilities and allow us to work closely with other emergency services in a cost-effective way.”

The shared station at Stowmarket will be the first new-build project to be undertaken to date. All other schemes so far have been refurbishment and extensions on existing Fire Station sites. Plans for the new shared facility to be built on land to be purchased from PPG on the junction of the A1120/B1113 Needham Road, will provide excellent access to the main A14 arterial road network as well as access to the local road network in and around Stowmarket itself.

Further Information

The plans include:

• A dedicated office for the local Policing team and the Serious Collision Investigation Team who are all currently based in the existing Police Station with capacity for other officers and Policing functions to use as a drop-in facility given the central Suffolk location.
• Provision of a single appliance Fire Station crewed by on call Firefighters from the local area.
• Interview, meeting and briefing rooms for Police
• Police and Fire locker and kit bag areas
• External help point telephone facility
• Secure dedicated car parking for operational Police vehicles
• Visitor parking with electric vehicle charging capability
• Outdoor training area for Fire and Police exercising
• Joint training and community rooms
• Shared kitchen, amenity space and recreation areas
• Shared toilet and shower facilities
• Facilities to accommodate the Salvation Army Welfare Support Unit
• Roof top PV panels to support reduction in fossil fuel usage and a greener environment.
• Potential to extend Blue Light collaboration with East of England Ambulance Service for a drop-in facility for Ambulance crews.

Feedback should be sent via email to fire.businesssupport@suffolk.gov.uk or planning.consultation@suffolk.pnn.police.uk  quoting ‘Stowmarket Consultation’