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Call to waive 'utterly crazy' air ambulance £95k fee

Lewis Adams
BBC News, Essex
BBC A red and yellow helicopter parked on tarmac.BBC
Essex and Herts Air Ambulance paid rent and landing fees at North Weald Airfield

Charging an air ambulance £95,500 a year to use an airfield was "utterly crazy", a resident who exposed the cost said.

Essex and Herts Air Ambulance paid the fee - which included £91,500 rent and £4,000 in landing fees - to North Weald Airfield, run by Epping Forest District Council.

Robert Born called for the authority to follow airports in Luton and Norwich and waive the charity's costs.

But Conservative councillor Tim Matthews said it was a "fair charge" for an "excellent service".

The fees were first reported by Everything Epping Forest, which cited a Freedom of Information request by Mr Born.

The data also revealed the National Police Air Service (NPAS) was being charged annual rent of £108,000 to use the airfield, with landing fees of £40,000.

Roger Wasley A black and yellow Airbus H135 helicopter with police markings. It is hovering a few feet above the ground. The picture was taken at Birmingham Airport.Roger Wasley
The police helicopter helped track fugitives and find missing people

"They're essential services, things we need," Mr Born told BBC Essex.

"To charge them and take away money from their ability to operate is utterly crazy."

The air ambulance attended incidents involving critically ill patients and brought staff with advanced medical skills to the scene.

Thomas Bromwich, an independent councillor for North Weald Bassett, said: "Charging a charity to save lives is wrong.

"These aren't luxuries, they're lifelines for our community. We need to be behind them and urging the council to reconsider."

Glyn Baker/Geograph The control tower at North Weald Airfield, which is a brown brick building with a white tower on top. The tower offers panoramic views of the airfield.Glyn Baker/Geograph
North Weald Airfield is based near junction seven of the M11 in Essex

The council received a £88.2m windfall for selling 52 acres (21ha) of airfield land to Google in 2024.

Matthews said "it would be great" in theory to make its facilities free for both the air ambulance and police helicopter.

However, he added: "But, in practice, that would mean the council tax payers and residents of Epping Forest district subsidising the service for several million people across London and the south-east.

"That is obviously unfair to our residents."

Asked about the figures, an air ambulance spokeswoman said the charity was "extremely grateful" to everyone who ed its work.

Vicki White, chief operating officer at NPAS, added: "We continually review our operational costs to ensure value for money for the public."

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