Plans to build a new air ambulance base near Cambridge have been approved ahead of the closure of the city’s airport.
The East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) submitted plans for their £8.2m new Cambridgeshire base in November last year, with Cambridge Airport – home to one of its two bases – set to close in 2028.
An extensive search identified New Shardelowes Farm in nearby Fulbourn as the most suitable site for the base, with response times to locations across the region set to be unaffected by the move.
The 10.35acre site will be home to helipads, a hanger and a garage for its critical care cars, alongside staff accommodation, medical store, office space and a training centre.
Firms involved in the project include Suffolk civil and structural engineers Superstructures, Fabric First Architects, Johns Slater and Haward, and Savills.
Richard Hindson, the charity’s Director of Operations and Infrastructure, said: “East Anglian Air Ambulance and the owners of Cambridge City Airport, Marshall, have worked together since 2007 to ensure that our Cambridge crew can swiftly attend local people in their moment of greatest need. But that chapter is coming to an end with the planned closure of the airport.
“We have acted quickly to identify a new site for our Cambridge‑based operation that will allow us to continue providing this vital service, which directly treated over 900 people in 2025.
“We are delighted to have been granted planning permission for our new base in Fulbourn, and grateful to all those who supported our application.
“However, this is just the start of our journey to a new home. Creating a new Cambridgeshire air base, from scratch, is our biggest ever project and we need to raise a significant sum of money to make this happen.”
Richard added the charity is planning to launch a fundraising appeal in the coming weeks to help support the project’s delivery.
He added: “Our bases aren’t ordinary buildings. They are vital lifelines for countless families, friends, and colleagues – anyone whose life would be devastated by the sudden tragic loss of a parent, a child, a spouse, a caregiver or a friend.
“The new base will safeguard the continuity of our lifesaving air ambulance service and deliver vital improvements in crew welfare, training facilities and public engagement.
“This is a hugely exciting opportunity for the future of critical care in our region, and we will be launching an appeal in the coming weeks to help us raise the money needed to build our new home and ensure we can meet the region’s future critical care needs for generations to come.”
Donations towards the project can be made via the EAAA website.
