The Princess Royal opens Blue Light Campus

The Blue Light campus, on South Park, opened in autumn 2019 and is home to the West division of Lincolnshire Police, Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and the East Midlands Ambulance Service.

Joint funded by Lincolnshire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner and £7.5m of government funding, the £21m tri-service emergency centre is a ground-breaking example of exceptional collaborative working.

Officers moved to the new facility in November 2019 from our previous base at West Parade.

The Princess Royal spoke to representatives from all three emergency services at the ceremony, before officially opening the facility by unveiling a plaque in the building’s atrium.

Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council Cllr Martin Hill, Chief Executive of Lincolnshire County Council Debbie Barnes, Chief Fire Officer Mark Baxter, Chief Executive of EMAS Richard Henderson and Willmot Dixon Midland Director Nick Heath were among other dignitaries in attendance.

They were introduced to the Princess Royal by the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, Toby Dennis.

As part of the tour, The Princess Royal spoke to Sgt Tom Richardson, who works in Lincolnshire Police's dog unit, and they discussed the vital role that the unit plays as part of the Force and introduced PD Frankie, who helps with searches for drugs, cash and firearms.

Her Royal Highness also spoke to Ch Supt Jon McAdam, divisional commander for the West area, plus Supt Lee Pache and T/ Supt Pat Coates. Both Supt Pache and Supt Coates were Programme Directors for the Blue Light Collaboration project at different points.

Chief Constable Chris Haward said: “We are honoured and delighted that Princess Anne has officially opened the Blue Light collaboration building at South Park.

“Many years of hard work have gone in to this project which brings together emergency services. The collaboration is already benefiting the people of Lincolnshire and will continue to deliver excellent outcomes to the people who need us the most.”

Supt Coates said: “There are so many benefits to the three services working together, and that’s been borne out since moving to these premises on South Park.

“The collaborative approach means we all respond better to incidents where a joint response is needed. Knowing the people that you work with makes a real difference, and we can offer an even better service to the public.

“The building is an upgrade on West Parade: It’s modern, fit for purpose and we’ve benefited from improved technology.”