Hampshire air ambulance to move south

Proposals to bring Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’s life-saving crew and charity staff under one roof near Southampton Airport have been approved by the local authority.

It means the helicopter will move from its current base at Thuxton near Andover.

The site will require a purpose-built helipad, hangar doors and a refit to the building's interior.

The charity says the move will put them at the heart of 70% of its call-outs, dramatically reducing response times – helping to save more lives across the whole of the region.

The application was recommended for approval by the Eastleigh Local Area Committee, with input from Environmental Health, Southampton Airport, Civil Aviation Authority and Southampton City Council, among others.

371 comments were received, of which only four were objections, to the council’s planning portal – in addition to the 612 comments made prior to the application via public consultation.

The charity says the move will put them at the heart of 70% of its call-outs, allowing the teams to be refueled, restocked and ready to respond to the next emergency call-out far quicker than from its current base. dramatically reducing response times – helping to save more lives across the whole of the region.

The new airbase is just 70 metres from the M27, and close to the M3, which as well as being closer to the majority of patients, will allow the team to better utilise its fleet of emergency response vehicles alongside the charity’s aircraft.

The committee noted that it is rare within their role that they make decisions that save lives – and it was therefore an easy decision to make.

In the document prepared for Eastleigh Local Area Committee, it states: "Overall, the scheme provides a life-saving service to the borough and beyond in a far superior location than its existing HQ north of the county.

"This is a great planning benefit that weighs heavily in favour of permission."

Positive

Richard Corbett, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance CEO, said:

“We are extremely pleased to have gained approval from Eastleigh Borough Council. We thank everyone who has provided input and feedback to our application, none more so than the swathe of people in our community who submitted overwhelmingly positive feedback not just for this relocation, but for our service as a whole.

“This move will undoubtedly allow us to save more lives, more regularly. Every decision we make as a charity is with the outcomes of our patients at its heart – and this move typifies that.”

The air ambulance now has several next steps, including agreeing operational plans with key partners.

For more information, visit www.hiowaa.org

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