PLANS for a sprawling new ambulance service hub in Oldbury housing hundreds of staff have been unveiled.
West Midlands Ambulance Service wants to build a base on empty land off Shidas Lane in Oldbury.
The vacant site is opposite Sandwell Council's tip.
If plans get the go-ahead the building would have 365 parking spaces and would home West Midlands Ambulance Services Operations, Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) and the service's training and distribution functions.
The application to Sandwell Council states: "West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust (WMAS) serves a population of 5.6 million people covering more than 5,000 miles 2 made up of Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Coventry, Birmingham and Black Country conurbation.
"As the region’s emergency ambulance service, WMAS respond to around 4,000 ‘999’ calls each day.
"To manage that level of demand, they employ approximately 6,000 staff and operate from 15 new fleet preparation hubs across the region.
"This proposed development will facilitate a new building to accommodate the Operations, Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Training and Distribution functions for WMAS."
The site is on Percy Business Park and is accessed via Rounds Green Road, with quick access to Wolverhampton Road, the A403 and the M5.
The application notes: "This particular plot is a former lagoon that has stood vacant for a number of years, presenting an underutilised and inaccessible void amongst the surrounding business parks.
"This site has been identified to meet the specific needs of WMAS, meeting the national guidelines for HART responses serving Birmingham City Centre and Birmingham International Airport.
"The baseline operational requirements within which WMAS has to operate require the facility to be located on a site in the West of the conurbation, within the Sandwell & Oldbury area, with close proximity to the M5 motorway."
The energy-efficient contemporary building would have 365 parking spaces including ten disabled spaces and 70 large vehicle spaces.
The application states: "This project is seen as a further expansion of the NHS infrastructure, driven by increasing demand for high quality facilities that collate their functions and improve efficiencies.
"This development has been specifically designed to meet the demands of WMAS, providing maximum flexibility that is essential to their operations both presently and in the future.
"Creating this hub will bring additional employment opportunities to the borough, each serving to support the National Health Service."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here