Work has started on redeveloping an ambulance station into an upgraded training centre with offices.

Plans for the alterations at Sheppey Ambulance Station, in Main Road, Queenborough, were approved in December after being submitted last May.

It was also revealed that Sittingbourne Ambulance Station, in St Michael’s Road, Sittingbourne, will be closed after the works at the Sheppey hub have been completed.

A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb), which runs and manages the properties, said work to upgrade the facilities in the building began on Tuesday, April 14.

While the works are ongoing, paramedics are using Sheppey Fire Station in Sheerness High Street as a place to spend a short amount of rest time between emergency calls.

The spokesman added: “The standby location at Sheerness Fire Station, while the refurbishment takes place, is a continuation of an existing arrangement.”

The blueprint for the changes, submitted to Swale council, made room for more parking spaces at the front of the property for vehicles which are on duty.

Spaces have also been allocated at the back of the site for staff members.

Member of Swale council for Queenborough and Halfway, Cllr Cameron Beart (Con), backed the plans when they were going through the planning process.

He said: “It is great news that these works to upgrade Sheppey Ambulance Station are progressing.

“There were many years of uncertainty when we thought it was going to close so it is very much welcomed that SECAmb is investing and upgrading the station to remain a presence in Queenborough.

“As regards to ensuring a presence of crews on the Island, I don’t believe the temporary closure of Sheppey Ambulance Station will result in any difference to the level of service provided to residents.

“Ambulances respond to the nearest call and ambulances from Sheppey go up ad down the county and crews from off the Island serve Sheppey every day.

“It is fantastic to see however the collaborative working between our services, so if Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) has offered SECAmb Sheerness Fire Station as a rest stop that is obviously welcomed.

“At this difficult time, we have KFRS staff retraining to drive ambulances and Sheppey Coastguard carrying out beach patrols on behalf of Kent Police.

“We also have the Joint Response Vehicles run in collaboration between SECAmb and Kent Police and we have community first responders.”

The building work is expected to take about 20 weeks to complete.

"It is very much welcomed that SECAmb is investing and upgrading the station to remain a presence in Queenborough."

Once all the building work has been completed, the site will be able to provide a centre to educate and train new and existing members of staff.

A KFRS spokesman said: "We’re always pleased to be able to assist our colleagues at South East Coast Ambulance, who are currently continuing to use Sheerness Fire Station as a stand-by location while a refurbishment at Sheppey Ambulance Station takes place.

"Sheppey fire station has been used as a stand-by rest base for paramedics for a while now, and so this is a continuation of an existing arrangement.

"This means that if needed, some of the station’s key facilities can be used by one ambulance crew, when responding from the Isle of Sheppey.

"Sheppey fire station’s operational activity remains the same and the service is not affected in any way."

"We’re always pleased to be able to assist our colleagues."

As part of the plans, it was recommended the Sittingbourne station be scrapped.

At the time of the plans being passed, paramedics and operating manage, Will Bellamy, said: “As part of the proposals, it is recommended we dispose of our current Sittingbourne site which is in need of modernisation and does not adequately serve the trust’s requirements.”

He added that health bosses were committed to keeping a “response location” within Sittingbourne.

The changes will mean, once complete, the Sheppey station will see specialist teams employed there to clean, restock and maintain vehicles.

It means staff, who previously would have taken on these tasks, will be able to spend more time on the road treating patients and attending emergency calls.

Crews will also be able to carry on using the station as a base where they start and finish their shifts from.

NHS workers will also be able to take breaks there.

Read more: All the latest news from Sheppey

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne