Planning permission sought for Mayo air ambulance base

PLANNING approval has been sought for a new air ambulance base in east Mayo.

The Billy Kedian Memorial Trust is planning to construct the air ambulance station with an adjoining heliport, landing and take-off facilities at Carrowreagh, Ballyhaunis.

Plans for the project have been submitted to Mayo County Council for approval.

The local community organisation propose to design and build a heliport to cater for the Irish Coast Guard, who operate the Sikorsky S92 and other emergency service helicopters, documentation submitted to the council outlines.

An air ambulance station adjoining the heliport site will accommodate an ambulance and provide emergency treatment and refuge while waiting for a helicopter to transfer a patient to hospital.

This building will only be used occasionally, at the time of an emergency, but will be serviced and maintained to a high standard of cleanliness and hygiene.

The helipad is accessed by a road connecting to the main road, the R293.

The project, named in honour of Private Billy Kedian, a local hero who gave his life in South Lebanon while saving his fellow soldiers on May 31, 1999, aims to establish a critical resource that will enhance life-saving services in the region.