A £1m windfall has been awarded to Wiltshire Air Ambulance towards the cost of its new airbase.

The sum comes from Libor fund and was announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond during the Autumn Statement in the House of Commons today.

The fund comes from fines levied on the banking industry for manipulating the Libor rate.

Wiltshire Air Ambulance wants to build an airbase on land at Outmarsh Farm, Semington, near Melksham. It will consist of an operations centre for its helicopter and aircrew and base for the charity team.

Currently the air ambulance itself is based at a rented hangar at Wiltshire Police HQ in Devizes with the charity team being in rented offices in Calne.

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: “We are delighted to have been awarded this £1 million grant from Her Majesty’s Treasury towards our new airbase.

"The funding will be used to complete the building, equipping and fitting out of our purpose-built operations centre and will bring together the aircrew, helicopter and charity team onto one site for the first time.

“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. 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.

“Having a purpose-built facility will enable us to have full control over our future. Our preferred location at Outmarsh Farm, Semington, will enable our helicopter to reach all parts of Wiltshire within 11 minutes, as it currently does from its base in Devizes.

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

"We already have £2.5 million 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.”

The charity’s Bell 429 helicopter started operating in January 2015 and is the first of its type to operate as an air ambulance in the UK. 

It has a top speed of 155 knots (178 mph) and is fitted out with the most recent Aerolite equipment to meet the highest helicopter emergency medical service specification.

It costs £3.25 million a year to keep the air ambulance flying - £8,904 per day. 

Wiltshire Air Ambulance relies almost entirely on public donations to keep flying as it does not receive central government funding. Visit: www.wiltshireairambulance.co.uk