Building starts at new Yorkshire Air Ambulance base

The site is due to be completed in summer 2026

Work has started on a new purpose-built base for Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) on land with a place in wartime aviation heritage.

Planning permission for the site at Skipton-on-Swale, near Thirsk, was granted in June and it will provide the service with a permanent home in the area.

The YAA currently have a base nearby at RAF Topcliffe but plan to move into their new site when it is due to be completed in summer 2026.

"We haven't had our own dedicated base for a long time," said Steve Waudby, director of aviation at YAA.

Mike Harrop, chairman of Yorkshire Air Ambulance said they estimate the build will be completed in 43 weeks

The charity's chair, Mike Harrop, said: "We are at the end of the lease, that'll be running out very shortly, so we've been looking at some land to buy for several years and we've finally found the perfect spot."

The YAA's site at RAF Topcliffe is around 3.5 miles (5.6km) away from their new facility and will close once their base opens.

"The site we've got at RAF Topcliffe, we're in the old air traffic control tower, it's very dated and very basic facilities," said Mr Harrop.

The new site will have a purpose-built helipad, a larger hangar space and a wellness area for crew.

"We go to some pretty horrific incidents and the nature of injuries can be very distressing," said Mr Waudby.

"It's important to have areas on the base where pilots, paramedics and doctors can go and have a little bit quiet time just to relax."

Yorkshire Air Ambulance's impression of how the new base will look

The new base is being built on land which was used by the RAF during World War Two but has been vacant since 1950.

It was part of a satellite station for RAF Leeming, but was abandoned after the war and the land reverted to agricultural use.

"The Canadians flew here with Halifax bombers, and the site that we are building on is the medical centre for the old RAF Skipton-on-Swale," said Mr Waudby.

The charity also leases a site at Nostell, near Wakefield, as its air support facility.

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