Police helicopter base gets the go-ahead

Jan 23 2008 by Peter Collins, South Wales Echo

THE go-ahead has been given to move the police helicopter from its base in Cardiff to St Athan – despite concerns over noise.

The South and East Wales Air Support helicopter will leave its current heliport in Cardiff Docks and move to the Ministry of Defence St Athan site in the spring, after plans were backed by Vale of Glamorgan councillors. The helicopter will be based close to the planned Defence Training Academy.

For the first time, the lease to provide the police with a helicopter and pilots has gone to Gloucestershire-based company Bond Air Services. They have secured the contract from Veritair, which had been providing the police with its services for a number of years.

After talks with the Welsh Assembly Government, plans were drawn up for a hangar and ground slab south of the runway to house the helicopter. The scheme has now been granted planning permission by Vale of Glamorgan councillors. St Athan community council objected to the scheme on the grounds that it would create too much noise.

Shadow Minister for Transport Andrew Davies said there had been a lack of public consultation about the proposal. He said: “I understand the need for an air support provision in South Wales but why put it in a place with no history of helicopters flying at anti-social hours?”

In his report to the Vale planning committee, Rob Thomas, chief planner, said the hangar would be 200 metres away from the nearest house.

He said: “Given the distance of the site from the nearest dwelling and the wider site context, it is not considered that the degree of noise or nuisance would be of an unacceptable level."

Supt Graham Lloyd, of South Wales Police, said: “The new helicopter is a real improvement on our existing capability and will be a powerful tool in the fight against crime.”

peter.collins@mediawales.co.uk