Air ambulance move will save more lives, boss says

An air ambulance is relocating its base to improve response rates and travel time.

Plans for the headquarters of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) to move near Southampton Airport have been unanimously approved by Eastleigh councillors.

The service is currently based across two locations - Thruxton, near Andover, and the charity team in Southampton.

CEO Richard Corbett said the move to a more central part of Hampshire would help "save more lives, more regularly".

The plans include a purpose-built helipad, hangar doors and a refit to the building’s interior.

Southampton City Council initially raised concerns about noise in residential areas within its boundaries, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

But this objection was withdrawn after a noise assessment indicated “No Observed Adverse Effect” on Southampton residents.

HIOWAA said that a low-acoustic-footprint Airbus EC135T3, which claimed to be the quietest aircraft of its type, would operate both during the day and at night.

Councillor Tonia Park said it was not very often the committee made a decision that "actually saved lives".

"The response time is 25 minutes from Thruxton to the south of the county. Those minutes are vital,” she said.

Mr Corbett said he had heard feedback for the plans had been "overwhelmingly positive".

"Every decision we make as a charity is with the outcomes of our patients at its heart – and this move typifies that,” he added.

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