Grantham's once-threatened ambulance station has gained planning approval to expand to make room for today's bigger vehicles.

The Nottingham-based East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has gained the approval from South Kesteven District council to extend the existing station on Beacon Lane, Grantham, which is in the St Anne's Conservation Area.

A 50m2 metre extension to the existing building was sought making it total almost 400m2. Staffing at the premises would remain at 20 full-time and two part-time officers, the application said.

As Nub News previously reported from the application: "The existing Ambulance station is of purely functional design and typical of late 1960's or 1970's public building architecture

"The proposed extension forms part of a general upgrade of the facilities of the ambulance station and internal refurbishment.

"The Ambulance station itself was considered at risk of closure back in 2012 which was of great concern to the residents of Grantham.

"The local population raised a petition for the saviour of the Ambulance station which collected 12,500 signatures."

The garage area of the ambulance station, it continued, accommodates six ambulances but with ambulances getting bigger to meet the needs of the health service, the once purpose-built facility is now too small to contain them securely.

"The proposed extension is designed to simply extend the length of the garages (2.5m) enough to accommodate the fleets existing vehicles and also the next generation of fleet ambulances.

"This will future proof the existing stations facilities for some time coming ensuring its valued presence in the centre of Grantham."

A report by SKDC planning staff, recommending approval, noted the scheme would have minimal impact on the surrounding area, the application had attracted no letters of representation from people living locally, and there were no objections from the highways authority.

Therefore, the application was recommended for approval as it met a range of SKDC planning policies.