Plans for a new headquarters for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance have been unanimously approved.

Proposals for the new site, complete with a new helipad near Southampton Airport, were given the go-ahead on Tuesday evening by Eastleigh councillors.

The scheme will see Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance move from their current base in Thruxton, near Andover, into an industrial unit on George Curl Way.

The charity requires a change in location due to it using more emergency response vehicles to attend more urban areas.

Following the council meeting, Keith Wilson, director of income and engagement at the air ambulance, told the Echo he was delighted with the unanimous verdict.

He said: “We’re over the moon, this is one very important hurdle in our journey to realising our new airbase.

“It’s great to have that unanimous support from the local area committee and we would be proud residents of Eastleigh, good neighbours, and we look forward to being a step closer to making the base happen.”

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(Image: HIOWAA/Eastleigh planning portal)

He added: “We’d like to say thank you to the many hundreds of people who wrote supportive comments on the planning portal during the planning consultation phase.

“The crew and the team at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance read them all, they were heartwarming, reassuring, and ultimately really helped in this application.”

The approved site is adjacent to the airport runway and would be accessed from the existing entrance on George Curl Way.

Sat within 70 metres from the M27, it’s believed the motorway will act as a buffer – alleviating noise pollution concerns which had been discussed by committee members.

Councillors also said that the air ambulance's work outweighed the concerns.

Speaking at the meeting, Eastleigh Town Council chair, Gaz Richardson, said: “Eastleigh Town Council overwhelmingly supports the proposal.

“The headquarters will help provide medical assistance to those in need, sometimes in life and death situations.”

Southampton City Councillor, Sally Goodfellow, also attended the meeting – who alongside her council role is a nursing assistant at Southampton General Hospital.

She said: “It takes the air ambulance 20 to 25 minutes to reach Southampton General Hospital from Thruxton.

“Being based in Eastleigh, it will be so much quicker to get to the helipad in Southampton.”

She added: “This will also be of benefit to patients in the Isle of Wight, with the base situated between two major cities in Southampton and Portsmouth.”