Work has started on a new multimillion pound ambulance service hub for West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) being built in Oldbury will replace an existing much smaller facility in West Bromwich. 

Stoford Developments has begun work on the 76,000 sq ft hub having been granted approval by Sandwell planners. 

The facility will be the largest of its kind in the country and will see a significant increase in ambulance operational capability for the Black Country and Birmingham.  

Once fully open it will house around 350 operational ambulance staff working shifts and will include a facility for the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), as well as fleet maintenance and vehicle preparation areas, an education and training academy and central stores. 

The hub is being built on derelict land off Shidas Road, Oldbury. The former quarry had originally been earmarked for industrial units but will now be transformed into an ambulance hub.  

The Sandwell site was strategically selected by WMAS as it is close to the M5 and ideally situated for its needs. The hub will accommodate 365 parking spaces, including ten disabled spaces and 70 ambulance spaces. 

The site has some technical challenges having remained undeveloped for 15 years but grant funding from West Midlands Combined Authority has made the project viable. 

Work has started on the site, with an estimated completion date of spring 2022.  

We’re pleased to say that Sandwell Council’s Social Value Impact Officer Karen Richards worked with Stoford on its employment and skills plan, ensuring the project brings not only a brilliant new ambulance hub to the borough but also maximum benefits for people and communities during its build. We’ll keep you posted! Read more about social value in Sandwell.