Hebburn Tri-Station will become home to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) as well as teams from Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service.

The new sustainable station, which will replace the ageing community fire station in Hebburn, is expected to be the first station of its kind in the country to be carbon neutral.

North East-based Esh Construction has been named as the contractor and is expected to start work on the state-of-the-art hub in the new year.

Once completed, the new emergency services base will feature staff accommodation, appliance bays for emergency vehicles and a free-standing training building, as well as charging ports with a view to all three services having a fleet of electric vehicles.

As part of a drive to minimise the carbon footprint of blue light services, the station will also boast carbon neutral status through the use of modern sustainable technologies.

This includes a rainwater harvesting and re-use system combined with roof-mounted solar panels and ground source heat pumps, as well as a wildflower meadow at the site to help promote local biodiversity.

Chris Hale, Esh’s pre-construction director, said: “This is a really exciting project to be involved with, not least due to its significance within the local area as a development which demonstrates the continued commitment of TWFRS to improving services and safety for the community, but also as a pioneering scheme which can lead the way for future sustainable blue light buildings.”

Chris Lowther, chief fire officer at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, added:“The Hebburn Tri-Station is a landmark building for Tyne and Wear as it symbolises the bringing together of three of the region’s emergency service organisations under one roof.

“The exemplar eco project will be a major asset for the residents and community of Hebburn, Jarrow and beyond.

“Over the coming months we look forward to working closely with Esh Construction to create a building that everyone can be proud of and will help to keep people safe from harm for generations to come.”

The contractor Esh was procured via the North East Procurement Organisation and has committed to deliver social value initiatives, with a pledge to reinvest more than 65% of the project spend back into Tyne and Wear through procurement of local labour and supply.

Elsewhere, local schools are set to benefit from employability workshops and science, technology, engineering and maths careers sessions, as well as site safety presentations to promote safety around a live construction site.

Chris Hale, of Esh, added: “At Esh we pride ourselves on delivering more than just a construction project.

“We are passionate about leaving a legacy in our communities and we will harness the benefits of a strong regional presence and supply chain to deliver quality social and economic value for Tyne and Wear throughout this project.”

The eco-friendly Tri-Station will be based on land between Hebburn’s Marine Drive and Campbell Park Road and will replace Hebburn Community Fire Station which was built in 1965.

Esh will work in partnership with Sunderland City Council’s capital projects team, Desco and Todd Milburn to deliver the project in collaboration with TWFRS.

Next steps announced for new Hebburn Tri-Station housing fire, police and ambulance services