Bury St Edmunds: Work begins on £11m ambulance hub in partnership with East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Work has started on the development of an £11m net-zero ambulance hub in a Suffolk town.

Primary care property investor and developer Assura has moved on site to deliver the 2,900 m2 facility in Bury St Edmunds for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).

Once the hub is completed, it will act as a “make-ready” central reporting hub, with housing training facilities and space for 33 ambulances.

The facility is designed to be fully net-zero carbon in operation and will see the installation of smart technologies, including over 1,000m2 of photo-voltaic (“PV”) panels, with the aim that all expected energy demand is met through the renewable energy generated on site.

Tom Abell, CEO of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “I am delighted to see work begin on the new hub at Bury St Edmunds, which will mean improved service for patients and modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for our teams.

“Staff will move from outdated stations to benefit from modern, fit-for-purpose facilities – including a gym and well-being facilities – and be better supported with on-site vehicle maintenance and preparation so ambulances are equipped and ready to go.

“The development of the central reporting hub will allow rapid and efficient preparation and deployment of our frontline teams to provide consistent high-quality care to our patients.

“Sustainability is vital to our organisation and I am very pleased that the hub will be the first of its kind in England to be net-zero.”

Construction of the hub is expected to take 14 months.