A JOINT fire and police station which is expected to save almost �350,000 over 10 years has been opened.

Police and crime commissioner, Tim Passmore and Suffolk County Council cabinet member Colin Spence, have officially unveiled Ixworth Fire and Police Station.

Operating costs savings for both emergency services is expected to be �25,000 a year.

Suffolk police should also save �88,000 over ten years through a reduction in maintenance costs.

The county council says the newly refurbished facility has been designed to maximise the use of public property assets, reduce operating costs, improve services and maintain a high profile presence.

Mr Passmore said he thought the station was a “fantastic facility”.

He said: “It’s a huge privilege for me to be here as Suffolk police and crime commissioner. It is wonderful to be in a rural area as well. “It’s a great example for the people of Suffolk as everybody in the public sector takes the future of rural locations very seriously indeed. It’s a great example of what will happen in the future and it makes great common sense.”

Mr Spence said: “I’m really proud to see the police and the fire and rescue service working so closely together to provide this service.”

He said it was really important to maintain services in the community.

The council’s cabinet agreed last year to jointly fund the shared bases at fire stations in the villages of Debenham, Elmswell and Ixworth.

Ixworth’s station is the first of the three to be completed.

The project follows Framlingham Fire and Police Station which was opened in 2011.