Nationally ground breaking West Suffolk initiative gets £100,000 boost

A £100,000 cash boost for a national ground breaking project to explore better integrated services and outcomes for residents in West Suffolk has been welcomed.

Members of the Suffolk Public Sector Leaders Group agreed the funding to progress the innovative multi-million pound Western Way development in Bury St Edmunds at their meeting on Friday, June 28.

If agreed the development would deliver new state of the art community facilities and a nationally ground-breaking way to deliver integrated public services.

Plans are being drawn up with partners which would bring together new leisure facilities, health, education and other public services with the commercial sector on one site.

It is part of a long-term vision for the area and would also attract investment and bring jobs, potentially opening within the next five years.

The outline case suggests the plans would give the opportunity for radical regeneration, transform how services work and produce better outcomes for residents. At the same time the new development aims to reduce costs to the public purse and free up other assets in the area.

It is also suggested that the steel frame of the depot on Olding Road is re-used for the new Public Service building, to saving money and resources as well as creating a flexible space that can be built in a phased way and will link to existing services at West Suffolk House.

The £100,000 Transformation Challenge Award Funding will be used on developing the detailed plans as how the various services and public bodies will work together and use the building.

Evidence shows that where services are better integrated the outcome for residents in terms of health, wellbeing, jobs and skills is better and reduces cost.

John Griffiths, the leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “We welcome this funding and support. This is a very ambitious ground-breaking opportunity to deliver services in a much more joined up way while regenerating this area of Bury St Edmunds to improve the health, education and prosperity of our residents.

“If we can put education, health, leisure and other services together they will achieve more than the sum of their parts for the people we serve. Partners are part of these plans and this funding is confirmation of their willingness to progress and ensure the best way forward to share facilities, services and expertise for the good of our communities. I would like to thank the many organisations involved in working so hard to bring this exciting project forward.”

Chair of the Suffolk Public Sectors Leaders Group, Suffolk County Councillor Matthew Hicks, said: “This is an innovative and nationally important project that will bring real dividends to our communities and businesses that will be seen in their everyday lives. Suffolk residents just want to see joined up services delivered well. This work will help achieve that and make sure that we, as public services, are not only working together to achieve the best outcomes we can but also including the private sector as well. This is an exciting project and embodies the transformation way Suffolk organisations work together, once again showing how our county is leading the way.”

Doing nothing is not an option on the site as the leisure centre needs refurbishment and the depot buildings will become empty.

The new site would create opportunities for multiple other partners to join the councils and West Suffolk CCG at the site, in the first or later phases.

To date, work on exploring the business case has involved central Government, all parts of the NHS, the Police, Abbeycroft Leisure, Sport England, West Suffolk College, the CAB and several other partners under the auspices of the Government’s One Public Estate Programme.