the remote moorland village of Brentor now has its own night-time air ambulance landing site.

The floodlit site on on Brentor Playing Fields has been installed with the help of Brentor Parish Council. It became operational last week.

Sheryl Burroughs, chair of the Brentor Village Hall and Playing Field Committee, said: “We are delighted that the playing fields are now officially a Devon Air Ambulance night-time landing spot. We are hoping that it never has to be used but with the site now operational it could potentially be lifesaving to anyone needing it in the surrounding area, something we are proud to be able to offer the community!”

Graham Coates, landing site manager for Devon Air Ambulance, said: “It is great news that this community landing site in Brentor is now operational, and we can reach local people by air when it is dark. My thanks to Sheryl and her team on the Brentor Village Hall and Playing Field Committee and parish clerk Caroline Oxenham, along with the rest of Brentor Parish Council for enabling this landing site project to come together so successfully. 

‘The project at Brentor has involved the installation of a single LED lighting column alongside the playing field which can be operated remotely in an emergency. We have surveyed the playing field so that our crews can get a better understanding of the key features of the site and the landscape surrounding it before they arrive on scene by helicopter.’

The landing site is the 199th community site to become operational across Devon. It allows casualties in emergency situations to be reached quickly in the hours of dartness.

Cllr Gary Hunt, chair of Brentor Parish Council, said: “We’ve been working with DAA for a number of years now to get a site operational in Brentor and we’re delighted that the project has now been completed and we have a brand new landing site for our community.”