Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance is consulting on whether to relocate its helipad and other facilities to a site on the southern edge of Southampton Airport.
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Currently its helicopter is based at Thruxton Airfield near Andover, but the charity says a move to a new site in George Curl Way adjacent to the airport would “improve response times” and therefore “save more lives”.
The site would include helipad, offices, staff facilities and parking for rapid response and other vehicles.
Regarding noise, while the airport’s flying hours are restricted, the helicopter attends road collisions, collapses and other incidents day and night, 365 days a year.
The air ambulance in Riverside Park in May 2023
In consultation proposals HIOWAA however emphasises its desire to be a good neighbour, and says it has “carried out detailed work to identify the impact of our lifesaving flights in terms of decibels”.
Consultation materials [page 5] elucidate: “One of the reasons for this being a preferred site is because the existing noise of commercial flights will largely mask our own movements”.
“The predicted level of noise from the development is sufficiently low enough at the closest residential dwellings to accord with the ‘No Observed Adverse Effect’”, is the conclusion proffered.
George Curl Way in relation to Bitterne Park. Image: Google
There will be a public drop-in session at Eastleigh Football Club on Stoneham Lane on Tuesday, March 5 from 4 – 8pm when feedback forms can be completed.
Proposals can also be viewed, and comments left, on Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance’s website by Sunday, March 17, or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Beyond this, a planning application would need to be lodged with Eastleigh Borough Council before any go-ahead. It’s not currently known whether Southampton City Council would be formally consulted given the site’s proximity, and/or whether Southampton residents would be able to comment directly on any plans lodged with EBC.