Agenda No. 5 DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE AUTHORITY RESOURCES COMMITTEE 8 FEBRUARY 2005 Report by Chief Constable FOIA - Open PLYMOUTH CITY AIRPORT (PCA) INTRODUCTION 1. The report outlines the current use of PCA by the Force helicopter, restrictions inhibiting extended operations and the potential need for identification of an alternative suitable operating site to serve Plymouth and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly BCUs. BACKGROUND 2. The Force helicopter has utilised PCA as a forward operating base over a number of years. Centrally located within the Force area the airport was primarily used as a refuelling stop to extend limited endurance to access Cornwall and North West Devon and mount extended operations on Dartmoor. Close proximity to Plymouth facilitates rapid response times to the City of Plymouth. Originally occupying a small room in part of the flying club the Air Operations Unit (AOU) has subsequently acquired, on a rental basis, a more suitable office and rest area within the hangar currently occupied by British International Helicopters Limited. 3. The owners of PCA, Sutton Harbour Holdings, have been formally advised by Plymouth City Council (PCC) that they have concerns regarding the environmental impact of airport operations. Noise complaints in particular have resulted in scrutiny of all aircraft movements with some concern expressed over the Force helicopter operating beyond the scheduled operating times at night. The ombudsman is currently investigating complaints made by a resident of a property adjacent to the airfield and as a result PCC do not wish the helicopter to be based at PCA. POTENTIAL USE OF PLYMOUTH AS A FULL TIME BASE 4. PCA has been considered on a number of occasions in the past as a potential full time operating base for the Force helicopter. A number of factors however preclude the use of the airfield as a permanent location. These include prevailing weather conditions, particularly in winter, and the high cost of moving the well established engineering infrastructure currently located at Police Headquarters. The current helicopter benefits from a greater fuel capacity and payload and as a consequence is less reliant on Plymouth as a pure refuelling stop. The cost of fuel at PCA is considerably higher than that obtained in bulk by the Force. Further, the helicopter incurs considerable landing fees operating from the PCA site. 5. In summer 2003 severe budget restrictions forced the AOU to rethink operating procedures. To continue to provide a level of service to Plymouth, and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly BCUs while reducing potentially inefficient transit flying the helicopter was relocated to PCA for six weeks. This deployment in many ways confirmed the unsuitability of PCA as a permanent base but a number of positive outcomes resulted in a plan to relocate to the airport for a two month period during the summer of 2004. CONSULTATION 6. Positive indications regarding the deployment were received from both PCA management and the Airport Consultative Committee. However subsequent letters from PCC to both PCA and the AOU have indicated that while they were happy for the helicopter to continue operating from PCA on an ad-hoc basis they did not consent to the helicopter being based at the airport. 7. As a result, the helicopter has continued to operate from Middlemoor. This request effectively limits the response of a valuable operational tool to Plymouth, and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly BCU. ANALYSIS OF UK POLICE AIR OPERATIONS 8. Much work is being undertaken currently across the UK in an effort to quantify and analyse the effect of helicopter air support on police operations. As a consequence it was planned to analyse in depth the effect of the helicopter on crime during the summer redeployment period, particularly in the Plymouth area. The decision by PCC denies the opportunity for detailed analysis of the effect of air support in Plymouth. It is now intended to conduct a similar period of activity and analysis in Torbay. RECOMMENDATION 9. That PCC is approached formally to ascertain if there is any possibility of the PCA being used in the future as an alternative base for the helicopter for extended periods in addition to being used on an ad hoc basis. 10. If PCC responds by refusing the use of PCA as an alternative base, the AOU is tasked to research other possible locations that might be a suitable alternative base for extended periods of activity in Plymouth, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and report the findings to a future meeting of the Authority. Maria Wallis Chief Constable Contact: Captain Ian Payne, Manager, Air Operations Unit .