Angus MacDonald MP Calls for Common Sense on Rural Helipads

Angus MacDonald, MP for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire, has called on the UK Government to cut through “bewildering” red tape that has stopped search and rescue helicopters from landing on community helipads in rural areas.

While leading a Westminster Hall debate on Access to Community Helipads in Rural Areas, Mr MacDonald raised the case of the Portree and Braes Community Trust helipad, which serves the north end of Skye, including the local hospital. Despite being purpose-built and refurbished to high safety standards, search and rescue helicopters operated by Bristow are not currently able to land there.

Mr MacDonald explained that the problem stems from overly rigid interpretation of new Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidance following a tragic 2022 incident in Devon. Bristow has since withdrawn from operating at sites that are not fully compliant with the new standards, despite the CAA confirming the guidance is non-mandatory and that pilots can conduct dynamic risk assessments to land safely when necessary.

“The problem isn’t Portree Helipad’s quality - it’s the red tape from the Health and Safety Executive,” said Mr MacDonald. “It is fear of litigation that is keeping my constituents’ helipads out of action.”

He highlighted a recent incident in Portree where a patient suffering from a suspected heart attack was forced to walk across rough ground to reach a helicopter because the aircraft could not land on the designated helipad.

“If that lady had died, we’d all be asking why the helicopter couldn’t use the purpose-built site just a few feet away,” he said. “This is bureaucracy gone mad.”

Mr MacDonald urged the Department for Transport, the CAA, HM Coastguard, and the Health and Safety Executive to review their approach and ensure regulations do not prevent emergency services from saving lives.

“Rescue helicopters are vital for rural communities,” he concluded. “We must not allow over-regulation and ambiguity to hamper the extraordinary work carried out by our search and rescue and mountain rescue teams.”

“I have a personal gratitude to Search and Rescue helicopters, who rescued my wife after a terrible climbing accident fifteen years ago.”

Mr MacDonald has requested a meeting with the responsible minister to discuss solutions that will allow Portree’s helipad - and others like it across the UK - to be fully reinstated for emergency use.