The station has been closed for just over a year following a roof leak which caused major damage to its structure and since, the staff and ambulance have been operating out of Bury station just under four miles away.

This was originally intended to be a temporary move whilst repairs were carried out to bring the station back into use, however, further investigations have deemed the site is no longer fit for purpose and the property will be put on the market.

Head of Operations for Greater Manchester, Dan Smith comments; “Over the last year, we have been closely monitoring performance in the area to see if the closure has had any negative impact but findings have confirmed that this is not the case. As a result, we have taken the decision to permanently close the site and continue our operations from Bury station.

“Ramsbottom station was the base for one emergency double crewed ambulance and eight permanent staff who, during internal consultations, have expressed that they feel they would benefit from permanent relocation to Bury Station and are happy to remain there on a permanent basis. With this in mind, and as there has been no adverse effect on operating from there, it makes sense to sell the property and reinvest the funds received into our frontline service.”

The data generated by investigations in performance suggests that the movement of the vehicle to Bury will broadly improve Category 2 (serious but not immediately life-threatening conditions) performance in the East Greater Manchester area. It also confirms that there will be no impact on other Greater Manchester operations sectors.

Dan adds: “In its semi derelict state, the property has become the target for anti-social behaviour. The trust is aware of the problems this is causing local residents and will continue to make the site as secure as possible while it is on the market. We would like to assure the community that we will work as quickly as we can to move this along.”