Station future still in doubt

Greater Manchester Ambulance Service was planning to centralise its control centre and support functions on to one site by the millennium.

But concerns about meeting the imminent deadline have put the proposals, which include the closure of the Whitefield station and the transfer of the administration headquarters on Bury Old Road, on hold.

GMAS bosses said the business case detailing the proposals has been put back to give them more time to consider all their options.

Mr John Williams, acting GMAS human resources director, said: "Postponing the plans gives us some breathing space and allows us to consider all the possibilities. We have to look at our estate as a whole and undertake a full evaluation."

Original plans included moving to a site at Salford Quays but after that fell through, ambulance bosses had been looking for alternative sites. "It is still our intention to go ahead with the plans because having the control centre and support functions on one site will be a better use of resources and more cost effective. But we do not have a date or finalised details as yet," explained Mr Williams.

GMAS is now concentrating on its millennium compliance plans and updating its control centre at Belle Vue in Manchester.

After the Salford Quays move fell through, GMAS bosses decided to upgrade the building and the telephone systems ready for the millennium.

Mr John Burnside, GMAS chief executive, said: "Millennium compliance work is ahead of schedule.

"We are on amber at the moment and will be ready to go live on the upgraded system in the improved Belle Vue centre on October 13 at 4am."

Bosses at Bury and Rochdale Health Authority - lead purchasers for GMAS services for the Greater Manchester area - say they are monitoring the situation closely and will be making regular checks on the progress.

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