New ambulance station proposed for Blackpool

The current base, which was built in 1980, would be demolished to make way for a three storey facility on the present site on Waterloo Road in South Shore.

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has submitted a detailed application for the scheme to Blackpool Council.

If it gets the go ahead, a temporary station would be created on the site of the former Devonshire Road Hospital for use while the new base is under construction.

The station is one of five serving the Fylde coast, alongside bases in Fleetwood, Thornton, Lytham and Wesham.

A design document accompanying the application says the current Blackpool ambulance station is “no longer fit for purpose to provide for the needs of NWAS and to service the Blackpool community.”

It adds: “Blackpool Ambulance Station is a very busy station which is needed to support the local residents and influx of visitors to Blackpool.

“The current building has a very dated appearance and is in need of extensive renovations.”

NWAS said it had considered alternative sites for the new station, but decided to remain on Waterloo Road due to its good road and transport links.

The application adds: “The site is in a well-connected location with a good road network which aids the response times to the local community.”

The new hub would include facilities to service, wash down, clean and re-stock ambulances with medical supplies, as well as offices, refreshment areas for staff, changing rooms, and training and meeting rooms.

Vehicles would continue to reach the station from the existing access points on Waterloo Road and Parkinson Way.

In 2019, all five Fylde coast stations appeared on a list of surplus NHS buildings earmarked as “no longer required”.

An NWAS estates strategy revealed a long-term ambition to replace the bases with a “hub and spoke” model already used in other parts of the region.

The application will now go before town hall planners at a future date for consideration.

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