Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils explore plans to combine three aging operational sites into a shared £12m depot

Babergh and Mid Suffolk Councils are exploring plans to consolidate three aging sites into a shared £12m depot.

The move, councillors have said, will 'future-proof' services for residents and improve staff conditions.

If funding is approved later this month, suitable locations will be picked for the councils' 200 operational staff and fleet which includes waste services and building services and repairs teams.

Currently the councils' main depots are in Stowmarket and Sudbury, both of which are other 50 years old, with a further depot in Great Wenham.

The depots are facing increasing costs to keep them running, and they are struggling to meet 21st century operational demands.

According to a report going before councillors, the sites are no longer able to house the staff and vehicles required to service in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

While the councils' waste fleet was amongst the first in the country to be converted to run on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil in a move to slash carbon emissions, further changes are planned in the Government’s Resource and Waste Strategy which the existing sites would struggle to accommodate.

An estimated £12m will be required to develop the 3.25 hectare site, which would more than double the councils' current combined operational capacity, and each council would fund half of this sum.

Through sharing one depot, it is estimated that between £75k and £150k would return into councils’ coffers each year.

Babergh District Council cabinet member for assets and investments, Cllr David Busby said: “Our operational teams work hard, but they are constrained by outdated sites that cannot be brought up to the 21st century standards that we need in order to deliver the best possible services to our residents and communities.”

Mid Suffolk District Council cabinet member for assets and investments, Cllr Peter Gould said: “We need to invest in our operations if we are serious about delivering the most effective and efficient service to our customers.

"These proposals require a significant capital investment, but will also deliver savings as well as providing opportunities for further income generation and collaborative working over time.”

Babergh District Council will consider the plans at its Full Council meeting on Monday 20 February, while Mid Suffolk District Council meets on Thursday 23 February.