Plans for new and all-electric Scarborough ambulance hub
The existing facilities "are no longer fit for purpose"
Last updated 3rd Oct 2022
Plans for a new and all-electric Scarborough ambulance hub that will replace existing facilities “which are no longer fit for purpose” are set to be approved by the borough council.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is seeking planning permission for a new ambulance station on a vacant site adjacent to The Graham School on Woodlands Drive, Scarborough.
This summer Scarborough Council lifted a restrictive covenant on the plot of land, sold more than 50 years ago, which restricted its use to educational purposes.
The new station seeks to provide modern fit-for-purpose facilities for accident and emergency, the patient transport service, as well as facilities for the maintenance and preparation of ambulances based in Scarborough, Filey, Bridlington, Kirkbymoorside, and Whitby.
The application, which has been recommended for approval, will be discussed by the council’s planning committee at its meeting on Thursday 6 October.
The station will be an all-electric building, avoiding the use of fossil fuels, orientated and designed to “maximise the benefits of natural daylight and ventilation and sunlight for electric generation”.
According to a council report, the buildings have been designed to ensure that any carbon generated during construction and the building’s lifespan is kept to a minimum.
The project plans to use locally sourced materials and methods of construction to minimise the need for transport and time to construct and create “a highly insulated, energy efficient building”.
According to the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, it has been searching for suitable sites in Scarborough for over two years “with only a small number of suitable sites identified”.
The site on Woodlands Drive is adjacent to Scarborough Hospital, allowing the ambulance service “to minimise staff time and fuel usage lost whilst travelling between the hospital and the ambulance station”.
During the consultation period, the only objections arose from two members of the public.
One objection stated: “This piece of land is wholly unsuitable for this proposal. The infrastructure is all wrong, and the access for emergency vehicles would be a nightmare unless access was to go through the hospital grounds themselves.”
Another objection highlighted concerns about the location of the site between two schools and children “crossing Woodlands Drive with no thought for other road users”.
The objection added: “Pedestrian school children also appear to like to see who can touch moving cars as they make their way across Woodlands Drive, especially slower moving vehicles as they approach junctions.”
However, council planning officers decreed that following “extensive” conversations with the applicant and the Highway Authority, adequate amendments could be made to avoid issues.
The council report states: “It is apparent that with amendments to Woodlands Drive – a pedestrian refuge crossing and ‘keep clear’ signage at Woodlands Academy and the site entrance – that any congestion can be managed and ambulances allowed to exit under blue lights.”
Construction work to create a new £47m emergency care centre is currently ongoing at Scarborough Hospital.
A new £500,000 helipad was opened at the hospital in March, which will allow larger helicopters and night landings for the first time.
The new station, which has been promoted by the ambulance service as “a major transformation” has been recommended for approval by planning officers.