THE Yorkshire Air Ambulance is set to press ahead shortly with plans for a new £2.4 million headquarters near York.

Chief executive Martin Eede said the board would meet within the next two or three weeks to decide whether to submit a planning application to Harrogate Borough Council to build the HQ in Cattal Lane South, Tockwith, near York.

He said the site, part of the former RAF Tockwith airfield, had been identified as a potential location almost a year ago, but the service had since been engaged in extensive consultation with local people.

He said there had been "overwhelming" backing from many residents. "They have said they would have liked it yesterday, and have written many letters of support."

However, he said two people living close to the site had raised objections and suggested alternative locations.

These had been explored, but had now mostly been ruled out because of problems such as a lack of space for the helicopter to land and take off.

He said measures had been suggested to mitigate the impact of the base on properties near to the proposed site, such as a no-fly zone over the houses.

Now the board was due to meet in the next two to three weeks and might decide to press ahead with lodging an application.

However, before that happened, he intended to meet the objectors to see if any further measures could be taken to mitigate the impact.

The Press revealed last August how the air ambulance was seeking to move away from its current base at Leeds Bradford Airport to the Tockwith and Bilton-in-Ainsty area, where it was examining five potential sites.

We reported how the move would mean the helicopter reaching incidents in the York area about five minutes more quickly than it currently managed.

The two-storey building would be the first purpose-built air ambulance HQ in Britain, boasting a visitor centre, conference and training facilities, sleeping quarters for air crews landing late in the evening and an engineering workshop so the chopper can be serviced on site.

Visitors, including parties of schoolchildren, would be able to learn about the work of the air ambulance, and see the helicopter in its hangar.

Mr Eede said today that if permission was granted, a major fundraising campaign would be launched, with the Freemasons already pledging their full support and a number of businesses offering help in kind, for example, by installing windows and providing bricks.