Princess Anne gives royal approval to Ipswich Princes Street joint police and fire station
A new joint police and fire station in the heart of Ipswich was given the Royal seal of approval as it was launched by Princess Anne today.
Leaders from Suffolk joined the Princess Royal at the grand opening of the Princes Street fire station earlier this afternoon.
Dignitaries included Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore, High Sheriff Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, mayor of Ipswich John Cook and Suffolk County councillors.
While there, she chatted with crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue and Suffolk Police about their roles and how the joint space has helped work within the town centre.
This came as one of five planned visits to the area over the coming days.
She was also due to visit National Coastwatch Institution in Felixstowe today, of which she is a patron.
Tomorrow, Princess Anne will be at Adnams Brewery in Southwold to celebrate its 150th anniversary, and will also visit Elm House Temporary Accommodation in Thetford and open the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science's new laboratory and headquarters in Lowestoft.
Police and Crime Commissioner Tim Passmore said: “Our county was very privileged to welcome the Princess Royal for the official opening of the new joint Police and Fire Station in the centre of Ipswich.
“This new facility is something we are all very proud of and will be enormously beneficial for residents and businesses across our county town.
“Our joint estates programme is one of the most important and significant examples of joint working nationally and is an excellent example of what can be achieved by pooling resources and working together. A great result for Suffolk.”
The new station has been described as 'state-of-the-art' and has allowed a closer connection between the two blue light units.
New facilities include a dedicated office for police, interview rooms, lockers, a reception and public enquiry office, car parking with police vehicles, joint training rooms as well as a shared kitchen and recreational area.
Suffolk Police's Kestral and Safer Neighbourhood teams are based at the station, alongside the community engagement officers, Chris Garrod and Gavin Bevan.
PC Felix Avery from the Kestral team felt the station was a 'hub' and allowed for a closer bond between the units.
While the official launch was this afternoon, the station opened in September last year, and police have fire have been collaborating ever since.
He said: "Police and fire often attend the same incidents, so it makes sense for us to have a station where we share resources and it help us build more personal relationships with them.
"Being based in Princes Street has also allowed us to deploy directly into the town centre and allows us to be more visible, which can reassure people that we are only a step away. The public want us to be more visible.
"There's a difference between saying the town centre is safe and people feeling safe, and I hope the increased presence can allow us to make this clear."
Cllr Andrew Reid, said it was an honour to welcome Princess Anne to Ipswich for the opening.
He described the station as the 'jewel in the county's crown' which celebrates continued collaboration between the two services.
Cllr Reid added: “We have already started to see the vast benefits of this shared site, which enables the efficient and cost-effective delivery of response activity in an environmentally responsible manner, ensuring continued value for money for our residents whilst supporting our council’s net-zero ambitions.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in delivering the new building; their attention to detail has resulted in a modern, fit-for-purpose station we can all be proud of, not just locally but on a national level, with Suffolk’s integrated blue light hub scheme heralded as an exemplar by central government.”
