Wrexham fire and ambulance station to get £8m

The new 999 centre is set to be built near Wrexham Maelor Hospital

Fire and ambulance crews in Wrexham look set to share a new £15m station after the project won financial backing from the Welsh government.

It will give £8.4m to help fund the 999 base near Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

The centre will replace the ageing town centre fire station in Bradley Road and ambulance bases in Chirk and Wrexham.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said it would give the two services the most modern facilities and allow better co-ordination of responses to incidents.

Welsh Ambulance Service chief executive Elwyn Price-Morris welcomed the government's approval of funding for the project which would include facilities for dedicated fleet assistants to take over responsibility for cleaning vehicles from ambulance crews.

North Wales chief fire officer Simon Smith said the project was another example of collaboration to boost public services, in a similar vein to their joint communications centre with North Wales Police.

Wrexham council's planning committee gave its approval for the scheme in May.