Air Ambulance foundation stone laid

Plans for a new home for the Cornwall Air Ambulance moved another step closer to completion with the unveiling of the building’s foundation stone.

Construction work on site near Newquay Cornwall Airport, which began in April, remains on time for delivery of the finished project by Christmas.

A special ceremony was held where Councillor Pat Harvey, chairman of Cornwall Council, unveiled the foundation stone from under the St Piran’s flag.

Among the guests present for the unveiling were Al Titterington, managing director at Newquay Cornwall Airport; project manager for the construction Steve Murdoch from Wagg Consultants and Phil McVey from Cornwall Development Company.

They were joined by Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust chairman Harold Chapman, chief executive Paula Martin, along with trustee Pam Chapman.

Cllr Pat Harvey said: “Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust is my charity for the year so I’m so pleased to be part of such an important development of the new helicopter hangar and headquarters.”

The development, which is part funded though £1 million of EDRF Convergence, is attracting attention from several other air ambulance charities across the UK, with it becoming a potential blue print for other facilities nationally.

The structure was declared wind and weather tight in October, with interior fit out already well underway, including underfloor heating and the hangar floor being some of the first completed elements.

The eco-friendly hemcrete walls were carefully dried through the summer weeks, with external rendering completing the finish in the autumn.