THE new base for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance (WAA) received a £1m windfall as part of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement today.

The sum comes from Libor fund –fines levied on the banking industry for manipulating the Libor rate – and was announced by Philip Hammond in the House of Commons.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance are looking to build a £5.1m airbase on land at Outmarsh Farm, Semington, near Melksham, which will bring the air ambulance crew, helicopter and charity team onto a single base for the first time.

The locations will also allow the air ambulance to reach any part of the county within 11 minutes.

The charity has already been granted outline planning permission for the Outmarsh Farm site and has submitted its detailed plans for the project to Wiltshire Council.

David Philpott, WAA chief executive, said he was “delighted” to have been awarded this grant from the Treasury.

“As has been the case since the charity was established, we continue to rely on donations and grants and make no demands upon the taxpayer to fund our vital service,” he said.

“However, I would like to thank those local MPs who lobbied on our behalf since without their help this funding would not have happened.

“Our dedicated paramedics, doctors and pilots have saved countless lives in the 26 years we have been operating, thanks to the generosity of people raising the funds we need.

“Our new airbase will allow our essential helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) to save future generations.

“If our detailed planning application is granted we will be launching a capital appeal to raise the remaining £1.25m of the £5.1m cost of our new airbase.

“We already have £2.5m pledged by a benefactor.

“Come early 2017 and we hope groups, businesses and individuals across Wiltshire will all support our Airbase Appeal to secure the future of this lifesaving service for many more years to come.”