New 50 vehicle ambulance hub is 'long overdue'

A plan to build a new £14.2m ambulance hub in Shrewsbury is "a long time overdue".

The new hub, which would replace the current hub on Longden Road, would be based off Emestry Bank, just off the A5, and have capacity for more than 500 staff.

Will Gould, senior operations manager for West Midlands Ambulance Service said the investment would make the centre fit for the next 30 years, improving patient wait times and cause less disruption to communities.

The site would house more than 50 ambulances, have expanded fleet maintenance, and include purpose-built training facilities. The planning application is expected to be submitted to Shropshire Council in the coming weeks.

The hub would predominantly serve Shrewsbury, but would also send vehicles to the rest of the West Midlands and over nearby borders.

"We've taken our time to pick the right location for the new replacement ambulance hub," said Gould.

"We have to think about response times for the public, our staff getting to work, and generally just the road networks that are around us.

"The area that we will serve from the new hub will be vast, and we'll be able to do that from the location we've chosen."

He said the ambulance service acknowledged that the current hub location was "not ideal".

"The population of Shrewsbury is only going to get bigger, and we need to get ready for that," he told the BBC.

"We're hoping that the hub will be ready to be moved in to towards the end of March 2028."

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