Gatwick ambulance base gets go-ahead for Crawley

Planning permission has been granted for a specialist ambulance service to be built in the town to provide an instant response to any emergencies at Gatwick Airport. A hazardous area response team (HART) base will be established, from where any incidents at the Olympics will also be dealt with. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) NHS Foundation Trust will move into a unit at Gatwick Gate Industrial Park in Lowfield Heath. The site is currently empty and the trust will move in for five years while a permanent HART ambulance station is constructed. The Crawley base will provide facilities for 42 specially trained staff, along with vehicles and specialist equipment. The team will be equipped to deal with incidents like chemical leaks, flooding and multi-vehicle collisions. This will be the second SECAmb HART team, with one already based in Ashford, Kent. The HART team were called to the explosion at Hobbs Industrial Estate in Newchapel last October. HART manager Neil Harrison said: "As far as the planning application is concerned, this is a very exciting prospect as we can now look at developing and converting the building. "The will enable us to respond to hazardous incidents in our area much quicker and more effectively." When not responding to HART calls, teams will provide operational support to the trust's 999 fleet. The planning application was approved by Crawley Borough Council's development control committee. Cheap Gatwick Parking