A heli-pad to land seriously ill patients on the roof of the Bristol Royal Infirmary has won approval from the city council.

The £3 million landing pad, to be installed on the roof of the hospital's Queen's building, will mean air ambulances will be able to transport sick children and patients with serious heart problems to the hospital.

Several Kingsdown residents wrote to the council to raise concerns about the impact of noise and vibration as flights make their way over their homes.

But councillors at the development control (central) committee said they could not justify rejecting it.

Robert Woolley, director of corporate development at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, assured planners it would have minimal impact on residents.

He said: "It will not hover like a police helicopter does. It will fly in, deposit a patient and fly out again and it will fly only in the daylight hours."

Councillor Barbara Lewis (Cons, Brislington East) said: "I am only disappointed that there will not be nighttime flights – even more people could benefit if there were. Bristol has needed this for a long time."

The committee voted unanimously in favour of the plans.

UHBristol is a regional specialist for heart treatment and caring for children. A heli-pad will allow the sickest patients can be transported to the site quickly.

Aircraft will land on top of the Bristol Royal Infirmary and patients will be taken down by lift and transferred to the relevant department for their care by a dedicated lift, which is also included in the plans.