Plans approved for new helipad at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital

The new and slightly larger helipad will be positioned marginally north and east of its current location.

There were no objections and the application by Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management was approved by officers using delegated powers.

A planning report states: “The reason for renewal is to enable the reprofiling of the ground, deal with issues of disrepair and accommodate a broader range of helicopter types, including a Leonardo AW 169 Helicopter, if the operator’s helicopter model was to change.

"It is not proposed that there will be an increase in the number of helipad landings and take-offs as a result of the proposed development. By modifying the helipad, this will improve the quality and accessibility of this vital community service required at the hospital while meeting the need to comply with relevant standards and larger helicopters landing in the future.”