News & Media Back to news Work begins on West Midlands Ambulance Service hub 13.05.2021 Photograph (l-r) Craig Cooke, Director of Strategic Operations, WMAS; Tony Nash, Stoford, Jonathan Bishop, Bishop Property Consultants, agent for WMAS. Work has begun on a multi-million pound ambulance service hub for West Midlands Ambulance Service in Sandwell. Leading property developer Stoford is delivering the 76,000 sq ft purpose-built hub, the largest hub of its kind in the country, which will eventually house about 350 operational ambulance staff. Contractor McLaren Construction is now on the seven-acre site in Shidas Lane, Oldbury, and aims to complete the hub, which will also include a facility for the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), fleet maintenance and vehicle preparation area, the Trust’s Education and Training Academy and central stores, next spring. It will be open in time for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, which kicks off in July 2022, and will be used as a staging point for the Trust’s preparations for one of the world’s biggest sporting events. The development, which we are funding, is the first of its kind for us, as we continue to expand the range of local healthcare infrastructure we support for primary care networks and NHS Trusts. Tony Nash, Director at Stoford, said: “This is a significant development for West Midlands Ambulance Service and an important national infrastructure project, so we’re pleased to have made a start on delivering the scheme, just a short time after we received planning approval. “As a former quarry site that was undeveloped for 15 years, it is a technically challenging building project, so receiving financial support from the West Midlands Combined Authority to make it viable has been crucial in getting it ready for development.” Craig Cooke, WMAS Director of Strategy Operations, added: “This is an important hub for the Service not just for the Commonwealth Games but for our ongoing ability to deliver high quality care to the people of Birmingham and the Black Country. “It will also see a major upgrade in our central store facility, which has played such a vital role during the pandemic, but also a big step forward in facilities for our Education & Training team and the Hazardous Area Response Team. “Talking to staff, they are excited to see the new building developed and we will be working with them to ensure it fully meets their needs.” Jonathan Murphy, our CEO, said: “This hub will provide a much-needed new base for emergency health services in the West Midlands. We are particularly proud to be playing our part in such an important piece of the health infrastructure that will sit around the Commonwealth Games, at a time when the eye of the world will be on the region.” WMAS serves a population of 5.6 million people and covers an area of more than 5,000 square miles, comprising Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and the West Midlands. The hub will achieve the BREEAM Excellence rating and will accommodate 365 parking spaces, including ten disabled spaces and 70 ambulance spaces. Related posts: Assura Advises on Severe Weather Warnings Assura Opens £3 Million Medical Centre Stephen Mosley MP Visit to Garden Lane Medical Centre, Chester Categories All Assura Assura Community Fund Charity Clinics Developments Downloads Events Gardening GPs Loneliness and Isolation Mental Health Other Property Social Prescribing Videos Walking Clubs Date 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 | info@assura.co.uk Connect with us here Privacy policy | Cookie policy | Terms and conditions On this website we use first or third-party tools that store small files (cookie) on your device. Cookies are normally used to allow the site to run properly (technical cookies), to generate navigation usage reports (statistics cookies) and to suitable advertise our services/products (profiling cookies). We can directly use technical cookies, but you have the right to choose whether or not to enable statistical and profiling cookies. Enabling these cookies, you help us to offer you a better experience. Cookie policyAccept CookiesContinue to Block CookiesCookie Policy