New Build Ambulance Operations Hub (Bury St Edmunds)

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) has a requirement for a works contract to facilitate a new building to accommodate its Make Ready Hub facility for the Bury St Edmunds area.

Make Ready is a staff friendly, vehicle preparation and cleaning programme that aims to maximise availability of resources for patients, while minimising risks to cleanliness, and critical equipment and vehicle failures. This Hub is the critical enabling infrastructure that will support EEAST’s ability to meet patient needs today and in the future. Make Ready Hubs have staff well-being and sustainability with future proofing ingrained within their purpose.

This Hub is a central reporting Hub, meaning that staff across the catchment area will begin and end their shifts there. It is the first of at least 10 that will be built in this style.

The requirement is for a turnkey package from suitably qualified developers/funders to deliver a new building on an existing 2-acre site currently owned by EEAST located at 5 Fortress Way, Suffolk Park, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, IP32 7FQ to accommodate some 2,800 (approx.) square metres of accommodation (Facility).

Existing EEAST Ambulance facilities are shown on the map included within the set of documents produced by EEAST relating to the description of the Facility, its location and any other requirements (Procurement Pack).

EEAST will enter into a lease for a period of either 25 or 30 years upon completion of the Facility. EEAST will expect the cost of the site and the costs of the design and construction of the works to be fully rentalised over the term and be within the expected range of £500,000-700,000 p.a.

Certain project specifics are summarised below and are fundamental to the requirements of EEAST:

• A minimum gross internal floor area of 2,800m2 as detailed in the project plans and specification;
• A minimum of 143 car parking spaces, subject to planning;
• A minimum of 33 long-wheelbase ambulance parking bays and 4 RRV parking bays;
• BREEAM Excellent Design and Construction;
• A bespoke design solution to accommodate offices, training rooms, vehicle preparation and fleet maintenance areas. The design should conform to the internal building layouts, site configuration and design requirements described within the detailed plans, outline specification and room data sheets; and
• The final design solution should be operationally appropriate for the Facility and should comply with all applicable statutory, legal and EEAST requirements.

The Facility will operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week throughout the year.

EAST anticipates appointing a preferred developer during January 2022 with a view to the preferred developer submitting a planning application during March 2022. This is to enable the planning condition in the development agreement to be satisfied by May 2022.