AIR ambulance officials have identified two sites in Tavistock which they want to use for night landings, town councillors have been told.

The Devon Air Ambulance Trust is working with communities across the county to identify floodlit sites which allows medical teams flown in by helicopter to treat accident victims more effectively after dark.

Tavistock Town Council’s budget and policy committee was told last Tuesday night that one of two sites being considered by the trust was Tavistock Football Club, with the other still being negotiated.

A report from town clerk Carl Hearn said a request had been received from the Devon Air Ambulance Trust (DAAT) to assist it to secure a night landing site, which could be used from dusk until 2am when the service closed down.

Mr Hearn said currently day landing sites were selected on their merits or proximity to an incident at the time of call out, with The Meadows in Tavistock being a favoured daytime location.

However, he said there was no facility for after-dark landings in the town, which means if called at such times the air ambulance used sites in the surrounding area, such as Yelverton.

He said the trust had identified the football club at Crowndale as a prospective suitable site, and it is understood that the club are amenable to the proposal. The advantage of the site was that it met the requirements for night landings and had existing floodlights to assist landings.

Mr Hearn said the basis of the proposal received from DAAT was that their main requirement is a ’switch’ to enable remote operation of the lights.

The club would host the switch, with the council being responsible for any maintenance of it in future, while the infrastructure continues to sit with the club.

He said the trust had offered £320.60 toward the overall cost of £929.50, plus VAT, with the balance being met by Tavistock Town Council.

Mr Hearn added: ’In the circumstances, and following consultation with committee members to expedite the provision of a night landing facility, the necessary agreement has been entered into, in principle, to provide this valuable service in the town.’

He said the report was an update on steps undertaken in partnership with the football club and the trust to sort out a night landing site for the town. Mr Hearn said a further report will seek the view of the council on how and if to proceed with a second site suggested by DAAT.

Tavistock councillors are following in the footsteps of Torbay Council, which identified six new night-landing areas.

Devon Air Ambulance now operates 19 hours per day, although the charity’s vision is to extend operations to become a 24/7 service.

Through its work with communities there are now 164 operational night landing sites which last year helped the charity carry out 207 missions in the hours of darkness.