Wales Air Ambulance meetings will take place in Welshpool, officials confirm
Public meetings on the future of the Wales Air Ambulance will now take place in the town that could lose its airbase, it has been confirmed.
The Emergency Ambulance Services Committee (EASC) in Wales has been looking at changes to the way the Wales Air Ambulance – provided in partnership by the Wales Air Ambulance Charity and the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS Cymru) – works, that could include the closure of its Mid Wales base at Welshpool Airport.
A series of consultation meetings and drop-in events on the issue are taking place over two months from April 4.
The initial published list of meetings did not include a public meeting in Welshpool – leading to concern from local councillors.
But, the EASC has now confirmed that two public meetings will take place at Welshpool Town Hall – one in the afternoon and one in the evening on Wednesday, April 26.
The first will take place at 5.30pm and the second at 7pm.
The meetings replace a previous proposal for a meeting at Llanfair Caereinion Leisure Centre.
A spokesman for the EASC said: “It’s been great to see the level of interest in the first dates published on the engagement timetable and to clarify and reassure, further dates are being worked on and we are keen to work with stakeholders for more localised arrangements. We are continuing to speak to venues and will confirm arrangements in updated timetables as each further venue comes on line.
“In response to the feedback on the first dates, please note that Welshpool public meeting specifically is scheduled to take place at the Town Hall on Wednesday April 26 where two public meeting sessions have been arranged to accommodate as many participants as possible: 5.30pm to 6.30pm and 7pm to 8pm. We apologise for any confusion that was caused initially and glad we were able to make adjustments.
“The timetable covers a mix of different formats and times to suit as many people as possible as we appreciate that a virtual session may be more convenient for some compared to having to travel for a public face to face meeting, whilst others may prefer the informal drop-ins compared to the formality of public meetings: We very much want to give people the option to provide their feedback in the way that feels most comfortable for them.
“The timetable is being regularly updated so we are encouraging people to keep checking the EASC website and we will continue to send updates to our stakeholder distribution list.”
Welshpool borough Councillor Graham Breeze, who had raised concerns over the situation, welcomed the move and urged people to attend the meetings.
He said: “I am grateful to the organisers for listening to local concerns and indeed to the concerns of the Save Wales Air Ambulance Welshpool Base Group.
"It would have been unthinkable not to have held public meetings in the very town where the threatened Air Ambulance base is situated.
“I would now like to encourage all those who have voiced their concerns about the proposals, both to me personally, in the press and widely on social media, to turn out at Welshpool Town Hall to make their feelings known to the organisers of the discussion process.
“It is an opportunity to have questions answered and to get the message across about the vital importance of the Welshpool base to the whole of Mid Wales.”
