Cautious welcome for Wolverhampton ambulance move

Councillors in Wolverhampton have cautiously welcomed plans to sell off four ambulance bases in the city and move crews to nearby fire stations.

Under the plans, stations in Bilston, Fallings Park, Penn and Tettenhall will shut and sold for an expected £835,000 in total. Ambulance Service bosses stressed the level of cover will remain the same.

Fallings Park councillor Steve Evans said: "It makes sense to jointly share the cost and as long as the service is not affected I don't see a problem.

"The ambulance service has to make savings like everyone else and it is better for them to do so by sharing buildings than cutting services.

"But people will want assurances that the 999 service is protected."

The ambulance station in Park Lane on Fallings Park Industrial Estate is now on the market for around £80,000. It will be replaced with a new facility at the area's fire station.

In Tettenhall, the ambulance station in Regis Road will move to a new facility at the village's nearby fire station. The ambulance building is on the market for £225,000.

Tettenhall councillor Jonathan Yardley said: "It's only 100 yards down the same road and as long as it's the same coverage it should be fine."

Penn ambulance station in Marston Road, now on the market for £145,000, will be replaced at the fire station in Merridale Street. Councillor Pat Patten said: "If it makes better use of other facilities I can't see any problem."

Bilston's Hare Street ambulance station will be sold for around £150,000.