March start for Liverpool ambulance station
Wates Construction is lined up to construct a new 20,700 sq ft home for North West Ambulance Service’s Hazardous Area Response Team, a specialist group of paramedics who are trained in handling incidents with possible explosions, gas leaks, or nuclear waste.
The HART Ambulance Station will be based on the Elm House site off Belmont Grove in Anfield. The current building will be demolished. The move will mark a return home for HART though, as a previous version of the ambulance service was based at Elm House before a new HQ was built in 2019 in Speke.
With construction to begin in March, HART hopes to move into its new home in June 2025.
Blue Sky Architects designed the two-storey block, which will have offices, training classrooms, a gym, a garage, and meeting rooms. There will also be a training climbing tower.
“HART members have a complex range of vehicles and equipment and have stringent training needs and so this site will include all of that and enable them to quickly respond to incidents throughout the Cheshire and Merseyside area,” said Steve Hynes, assistant director of resilience at North West Ambulance Service.
Hynes continued: “Staff are looking forward to having a state-of-the-art base with modern facilities and we are delighted that we can transform a site that has been a part of the ambulance service for many years.”
Sarah Cooke, regional director for the North West at Wates, said the contractor was honoured to be chosen for the project.
“We have extensive experience delivering new facilities for other blue light organisations, such as Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and know the positive impact these modern schemes have – not only on those that work in them, but for the wider community,” Cooke said. “As with all our projects, we’ll be working closely with NWAS and other local stakeholders to deliver both an exemplary build and a multitude of social value initiatives that support the entirety of Merseyside.”
Liverpool City Council approved the demolition of Elm House and the construction of the new HART hub in January, thanks to the work of Mosaic Planning. You can learn more about the application by searching reference number 23F/1441 on Liverpool City Council’s planning portal.
Hopefully wates will be signed up to the Liverpool city council construction charter & allow access to the unite construction officer on site.great to see a ambulance station being built for our citizens well done Liam Robinson.
By Jimmy Woods
@Feb 1 , 11.12pm , not sure that Liam Robinson or the City Council had that much to do with it except give planning permission. This important facility will give protection from Liverpool to people of Cheshire and Merseyside whether they are citizens or maybe seafarers from across the world. When you think of the potential hazardous cargoes from our ships on the Mersey, or from, say, facilities at Stanlow or Widnes this can only be a good thing.
By Anonymous