Steel signing marks milestone at eco-friendly community Tri-Station
The initial phase of a new blue-light tri-service station set to be the first of its kind in the country to be carbon neutral has been completed.
The state-of-the-art Hebburn Tri-Station will be used by Northumbria Police, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and North East Ambulance.
Modern sustainable technologies will be utilised throughout the hub, including solar photo voltaic roof panels, ground source heat pumps and a rainwater harvesting and re-use system. A wildflower meadow will feature among the landscaping of the grounds to help promote local biodiversity.
The station will include staff accommodation and appliance bays for emergency vehicles, as well as a free-standing training building. Externally, the site will feature charging ports, with a view to all three services having a fleet of electric vehicles.
It is expected to be operational by spring 2024.
Neil Hall, chief inspector at Northumbria Police, Steven Bewick, station manager for Hebburn Community Fire Station and Louise Norris, locality manager at North East Ambulance Service, joined Esh Construction and pupils and staff from local primary schools took part in a steel signing event to mark the completion of the first phase of work.
The building frame is made up 585 hot rolled steel girders weighing 151 tonnes, which were installed by Sunderland-based company, Harry Marsh (Engineers) Ltd.
Steven Bewick, station manager for Hebburn Community Fire Station, said the station will “embrace the day-to-day operations of each blue light organisation”, with officers working alongside each other under the same environmentally friendly roof.
He added: “It was great to welcome the young people on-site, as the steel signing was a fun way of representing the community ownership aspect of the building, and how we want people, young and old, to see Hebburn Tri-Station as an integral part of the local area.”