North West
Construction
Wates HART Liverpool NWAS
“This new base is a significant and vital investment for Liverpool HART.”
Head of Special Operations, NWAS
Procured via the Procure Partnerships Framework
Wates Construction delivered the new 20,700 sq ft two-storey base on the former Elm House site at Belmont Grove, Anfield, the previous HQ of Merseyside Regional Ambulance Service.
This is the first time Liverpool’s HART team has had its own bespoke base, having previously shared premises with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service at their Special Operations Centre in Croxteth.
A purpose-built home for specialist response in Liverpool
HART is a specialist response unit trained to provide life-saving care in complex incidents, including rescues from height, in water, or where the patient is difficult to access. NWAS has two HART teams available to respond 24 hours a day, with the other team based in Manchester.
The project was recognised at the Procure Partnerships Framework’s National Project Excellence Awards, taking home Project of the Year – North. The awards celebrate the best public sector projects procured through the framework, highlighting outstanding delivery, collaboration, and community impact across the country.
New facilities at a glance
- Climbing tower and training tunnel
- Specialist training rooms
- Fully equipped gym
- Modern office space
- Large mess room and kitchen
- Indoor depot for specialist vehicles
Community involvement from day one
During construction, NWAS invited local schoolchildren to make their mark on the new base. Pupils from Princes Primary and All Saints Primary created artwork for the walls, planted trees on site, and buried a time capsule during the construction phase.
They also toured the completed building in July, explored the vehicles, tried on equipment, and learned basic lifesaving skills from the paramedics based there.
“This new base is a significant and vital investment, giving our Liverpool HART the facilities they need to train, prepare and respond to incidents across the region. Today’s official opening marks the culmination of 18 months of planning and construction, and we’re proud to have involved the local community in its creation. I want to thank Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service for hosting the team for all these years, and we look forward to the difference this will make to our operational resilience.”
Matt Calderbank
Head of Special Operations, NWAS
“We have extensive experience delivering new facilities for other blue light organisations, such as Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, and know the positive impact these modern schemes have – not only on those that work in them, but for the wider community,”
Sarah Cooke
Regional Director for the North West at Wates