Superintendent Kevin Waring of Northumbria Police, Chris Lowther – Chief Fire Officer of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Darren Green, Head of Operations Central Division at the North East Ambulance Service during the Hebburn Tri Station turf cutting ceremony (photo – TWFRS)

This week a special ceremony was held in a Tyne and Wear town to mark the start of construction work for a new cutting-edge eco Tri Station.

The Hebburn Tri Station will house officers from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, Northumbria Police and North East Ambulance Service under one ‘environmentally friendly’ roof.

Representatives from organisations across the local community were present to watch the official turf cutting service located on the site between Marine Drive and Campbell Park Road in Hebburn.

The new multi-functional facility will replace the existing fire station currently located off Victoria Road West and remain in the heart of the community

In July of last year, South Tyneside Council’s Planning Committee approved the planning application for the new blue light project.

The construction phase of the project will be led by Esh Construction – who will be utilising locally sourced materials and construction labourers from the North East workforce.

The building is set to be the first station in the country to be completely carbon neutral and will provide a major new hub for local emergency services.

Chris Lowther, Chief Fire Officer of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“It was a proud moment to play my part in the beginning stages of Hebburn Tri Station’s community journey.  This is an important building for not only the residents of Hebburn and Jarrow but also the wider regions of Tyne and Wear.

“The building represents the unification of blue light colleagues being based under the one roof, and it also shows our commitment towards promoting the values of carbon neutral facilities.

“This is a very significant project for the Fire Authority as the new Tri Station is being funded as part of its Capital Programme scheme showing crucial investment for emergency service provisions that will be beneficial for generations to come.”

Chief Superintendent Barrie Joisce, Area Commander for South Tyneside and Sunderland, of Northumbria Police, said:

“This ceremony marks a significant step forward as construction begins for this exciting project.

“Not only is the tri-station showing our dedication to the environment – but it will greatly improve our response to the public and build on existing collaboration with blue light partners in the region.

“This building will allow us to strengthen our working relationships under one roof – I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops in the coming months.”

Darren Green, Head of Operations Central Division at the North East Ambulance Service, said:

“It’s really exciting to be part of this project and see the Hebburn tri station develop. This will make a huge difference to both the residents of Hebburn and the region as a whole.

“The building demonstrates our commitment to the environment and is set to be beneficial for years to come.

“Co-locating under one roof with our blue light colleagues ensures our services continue to work together.”     

The new station has been designed by Sunderland City Council’s (SCC) Capital Projects team, in collaboration with TWFRS, with design and planning support from SCC’s Infrastructure & Regeneration teams and external consultants.

The sustainable station will have solar panels on the roof, a wildflower meadow that will help increase local biodiversity and a system that will store and re-use rain water.

It will also have a number of car and cycle charging ports with the view of all three services having a fleet of electric vehicles.

It is expected that the new Hebburn Tri Station will be operational by Spring 2024.