Plans for a new hub in Ipswich to make sure ambulances are clean, stocked and roadworthy will go before planners next week. 

Ipswich Borough Council will discuss the proposals by the East of England Ambulance Trust (EEAST) to build a new ambulance hub including a ‘Make Ready Central Reporting Hub’ (MRCRH). 

Similar facilities have been proposed for the Moreton Hall estate outside Bury St Edmunds.

The site includes a multi-storey car park with space for ambulances, staff, and visitors at the site, which is currently vacant and covered in bramble scrub.

It is located in Ransomes Industrial Estate and is strategically close to the A14. 

It would allow ambulances to be checked, re-stocked and cleaned after use. 

There would also be a workshop space for repairs and servicing to ensure safety and roadworthiness.

A spokesperson for the trust said the hub would give clinical staff the time to concentrate on caring for the patients of Ipswich and the surrounding area. 

The site would not be a base for emergency response, but an area for ambulance staff to park on-site and collect their ambulances before leaving for a local stationing point. 

Around 97 members of staff would be based at the site, which would operate 24/7 and also include space for medical supply storage and staff refreshments.

Council officers recommend that the permission be granted as it would be beneficial to the public. 

They note that the proposal fails on to meet the council's policy which was introduced in February which states all plans should have net gain for biodiversity in the area.  

However, the overall benefit of the hub outweighs the council's biodiversity needs, according to the officers. 

The borough council will give a decision on these plans on April 24.