THE ambulance service plans to switch its Wiltshire headquarters from Chippenham to Devizes.

Chief executive Dennis Lauder said the move from Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, would coincide with the opening of the three emergency services' joint communications centre at the county's police HQ in March 2002.

He said: "No organisation wants to be far from its control centre so it makes more sense for us to move."

His comments this week came after the three emergency services confirmed they could be sharing a new super HQ complex at Devizes within three years.

The services have also made a radical pledge to merge as many of the police, fire and ambulance stations in towns across the county as possible.

Although each service will maintain its independence, the authorities believe substantial financial savings can be made by sharing the same site.

The three services have already won Government funding for the joint control centre at police headquarters in London Road, Devizes. Work is expected to start on the joint 999 call centre in March.

County chief fire officer Neil Wright said the brigade was looking to set up a new purpose-built headquarters at London Road, Devizes, but as it was financially committed with the joint control centre, it could not think of completing a new HQ until 2004.

He said amalgamating stations in some towns would save money but improvements in services to the community would remain top priority.