Market Drayton to get its own ambulance station at last

West Midlands Ambulance Service has confirmed a new community ambulance station will open at Walkmill Business Park in by the end of the week.

Chris Kowalik, spokesman for WMAS, said the new station will open in a semi-detached unit next to the offices of the National Farmers Union.

"For at least 20 years we have been sharing the fire station in Maer Lane," Mr Kowalik said.

"The community paramedics and the crew that are based there will just go across, it will be a simple move."

Councillors have raised concerns that the station has been put in the 'worst place in town' because or a history of road closures

Speaking at last week's Market Drayton Town Council meeting Councillor Roger Smith, who is a fire fighter based at Maer Lane, said: "From Walkmill you have to go over the river and through a built-up area.

"If the bridge is closed they won't maintain their response times.

"They have effectively chosen the worst place in town to set up as it can be cut off."

Councillor Roger Hughes said that the Walkmill Bridge has been closed on a number of occasions in recent years and it could cause problems for the emergency services.

However, West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Chris Kowalik dismissed the fears, insisting that the new base was in a better position than the old Maer Lane site.

He said: "Statistically we have had more 999 calls from the side of town that we are now going to.

"From a response point of view we are going to a better place and there are no concerns.

"The location would have been taken into account by our managers. They look at the road network and the demand history in Market Drayton and the surrounding area."

The new new station, next to the offices of the National Farmers Union, will have a kitchenette, a television, showers, lockers to keep drugs in and a rest room with a computer.