Last checked at 24 Jul 2023 07:00
24 July 2023
Assura plc
Development update
Assura plc ("Assura"), the leading primary care property investor and developer, today announces it has moved on site with the direct development of an £11 million Ambulance Hub in Bury St Edmunds.
Let to East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust ("EEAST") on a 30-year lease with 3-yearly rent reviews linked to RPI, the 2,900 m2 facility will act as 'make-ready' central reporting hub as well as housing training facilities and space for 33 ambulances. EEAST is one of the largest ambulance trusts in England, covering 7,500 square miles and serving over 6.3 million people.
Following the launch of the Assura Net Zero Carbon Design Guide and in line with our ambition to be net zero across our portfolio by 2040, the facility is designed to be net zero carbon in operation. A 'fabric first' approach has been taken to the design, where the form factor, combined with the low u-value specification and adoption of smart technologies, mean that the building is expected to have an energy usage intensity of 65 kWh/m2. This will be reduced to net zero through the installation of over 1,000 m2 of photo-voltaic ("PV") panels, with the aim that all expected regulated energy demand is met through renewable energy generated on site. The scheme has been designed to achieve BREEAM certification of "Excellent" and an EPC rating of A+.
Construction is expected to take 14 months with rent commencing in Q3 2024.
Jonathan Murphy, CEO, said:
"This fantastic project in Bury St Edmunds will help the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust to deliver an efficient and essential service to the local population.
"Building on the success of our first Ambulance Hub in the West Midlands, this £11 million development scheme is another step in our strategic expansion into emerging opportunities - working directly with NHS Trusts to provide facilities in a community setting that help alleviate pressure on hospitals and the NHS.
"Using our Net Zero Carbon Design Guide, we are aiming for the site to be net zero carbon in operation - with all energy used at the site generated by on site renewable energy in the form of over 1,000 m2 of PV panels."
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Assura plc David Purcell, Investor Relations Director | Tel: 0161 515 2043 Email: Investor@assura.co.uk |
FGS Global Gordon Simpson |
Tel: 0207 251 3801 Email: Assura@fgsglobal.com |
Notes to Editors
Assura plc is a national healthcare premises specialist and UK REIT based in Altrincham, UK - caring for more than 600 primary healthcare buildings, from which over six million patients are served.
A constituent of the FTSE 250 and the EPRA* indices, as at 31 March 2023, Assura's portfolio was valued at £2.7 billion.
At Assura, we BUILD for health. Assura builds better spaces for people and places, invests in skills and inspires new ways of working, and unlocks the power of design and innovation to deliver lasting impact for communities - aiming for six million people to have benefitted from improvements to and through its healthcare buildings by 2026.
Assura is leading for a sustainable future, targeting net zero carbon across its portfolio by 2040.
Further information is available at www.assuraplc.com
*EPRA is a registered trademark of the European Public Real Estate Association.