Shrewsbury £1.2m ambulance station plans

Plans have been released for a £1.2m ambulance station in Shrewsbury.

The new building, off Longden Road, is expected to serve as a maintenance centre and house up to 100 staff, West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

A planning application has been submitted to Shropshire Council and, if approved, the new station could open in November, a spokesman added.

The new building will replace an existing site at Abbey Foregate, which is due to be sold after the move.

Barry McKinnon, from the ambulance service, said the upgrade was part of a wider £10m regional project to improve efficiency and resilience within the service.

He said the site at Abella Business Centre had been chosen partly due to its proximity to local hospitals.

The £1.2m cost includes a 15-year lease and the conversion of the former warehouse.

Mr McKinnon said the central station would be used to maintain vehicles and equipment and manage drugs and other resources.

He added that it would work alongside three other ambulance stand-by locations in the Shelton, Harlescott and Emstrey areas to provide cover across the town and beyond.