Minister could halt air ambulance bid
Secretary of State may call in plan for new base
Plans for a new air ambulance base have hit another stumbling block, after an objector called for the government to intervene in the decision.
The charity, which has been operating out of Marden for the past 25 years, was last week granted planning permission to relocate to Rochester Airport.
But while Medway Council has given the green light, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust (KSSAAT) now has to wait to hear whether a request for the Secretary of State, Sajid Javid, to call in the plans – taking the decision out of the local authority’s hands – has been successful.
It comes after an objection from a neighbour, who raised concerns about noise, traffic, safety and pollution and demanded an environmental impact assessment.
However, council officers pointed out planning permission was being sought for the office block alone, and not the operations of emergency service helicopters which are already permitted to use the airport at any time.
Anyone can ask for a planning application to be called in, but very few requests are success- ful and usually relate to planning applications which raise issues of national significance.
In total, 11 people objected to the relocation plans, compared to 235 letters in support.
The move has been prompted by KSSAAT’s need to accommodate new, larger helicopters.
If approved, the new office could house up to 60 staff from the air ambulance trust’s management, administration and fundraising teams, as well as visiting pilots. While the helicopters would be based at the charity’s second site in Redhill, they would use Rochester as a forwarding base to allow them to cover the whole of the South East and help patients faster.
It is nearly two years since the charity first announced its need for a new base. A bid to stay in the Weald, with a move from Pattenden Lane to nearby Willow Lane in Paddock Wood, was dropped in the face of huge opposition last year.