New £17m Lincoln police, ambulance and fire station gets the go-ahead

Lincolnshire County Council’s planning committee has given the green light to a project that will create a new joint station for police, fire and ambulance services in Lincoln.

The scheme, dubbed the ‘Blue Light Collaboration Programme’ will see the county’s emergency services operating under the one roof on the South Park site – where Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and East Midlands Ambulance Service currently operate.

It has been designed to encourage closer collaboration of the city’s emergency services, and will house 180 staff.

Preparation works are now expected to start on the site, with full construction starting in early 2018. It is expected to be completed and operational by March 2019.

During the construction works, fire crews from Lincoln South will respond from a temporary station on the South Park site.

It is also expected that police staff would move out of the current West Parade station in the city centre and that that site would be sold.

The project has already seen the fire service move its HQ to the current Lincolnshire Police Headquarters in Nettleham.

Chair of the planning committee, Councillor Ian Fleetwood, said: “I’m very pleased that the application passed unanimously. This is an excellent opportunity to give people a better quality service, and help to ensure they get the emergency services they need on a quicker basis.”

The new station will feature a three storey building, with service specific office space, operational accommodation and shared areas.

It will also include provision for operational parking and fast deployment for all three emergency services. The main public entrance will be at the centre of the new building, easily accessible from the main road with a dedicated visitor parking area.

As part of the development, the existing fire training tower and workshops will be retained and refurbished to create additional operational space.

Ellie Compton, Programme Manager for the Lincolnshire Blue Light Collaboration Programme, said: “Police will continue to operate from the West Parade site until the new tri-service operational station build is completed in 2019.

“All services delivered at West Parade will then be moved to the new site with the exception of one neighbourhood policing team who will remain city centre based, working from City Hall.

“Future plans for the West Parade site will be developed in accordance with the police Estate Strategy and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.”

Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones added: “It is good news that permission has been granted for the new tri-service building and we can now get on with the work of creating effective and efficient services for the people of the city.

“This new station is a big step forward in ensuring that all our blue light services work together to help make and keep our communities and residents safe.”