Projects
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Headquarters
It was a real honour to assist in securing planning permission for the new Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Headquarters at George Curl Way, adjacent to Southampton Airport. Due to a change in the way the charity operates, with more incidents being responded to by vehicles and also a need to relocate the headquarters more centrally in the region to improve response times, an initial search was undertaken to find a suitable location for the relocation. The site adjacent to the airport was identified as a great opportunity to bring both the office and emergency team of the charity together whilst reducing response times by both air and road and improving the life saving service the air ambulance provides.
The development includes minor alterations to the existing building, the creation of a helipad and associated works, alongside a change of use to allow air ambulances to launch and land there, and for the team to work within offices on the site. In addition to the town planning element of work, SPP also advised on ecological matters and ensured that the site delivered over and above the mandatory requirement of Biodiversity Net Gain.
This was an incredibly rewarding project to be involved with and the new location will help to ensure that the HIOWAA crews will get to patients far quicker and will be restocked, refueled, and ready to respond to the next emergency call out more quickly. The precious minutes saved by this project spell the difference between life and death. We are so pleased that the team at HIOWAA will have their new headquarters soon and the air ambulance service will be made even more effective and efficient as a result.