Report Suggests Solutions for Heathrow Airport Noise

While we wait for Noise Action Plans for England to be finalised, campaigners at Heathrow have released a report outlining practical measures which could reduce aircraft noise for those living under the airport's flight path.

The study, which was carried out by HACAN by the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), was commissioned in response to an increasing number of complaints about Heathrow noise, including those from people living miles away from the airport who were not previously affected.

HACAN Chair John Stewart said, "No longer is aircraft noise just a problem for the traditional areas of West London and Windsor in the vicinity of Heathrow. It has spread far and wide across London and the Home Counties. The tentacles of Heathrow reach to areas over 30 miles from the airport. The Department for Transport has tried to hide what has happened."

The report identifies the reasons why aircraft noise has become a problem in these areas and concludes that the major reason for the spread and increase of the noise lies in the fact that aircraft have started joining the final approach path to Heathrow much further East than previously.

This has resulted in a concentration of flights over areas such as Stockwell and Vauxhall – a survey carried out by HACAN last year found that as many as 39 planes an hour were flying over Vauxhall, causing a significant deterioration in the noise environment.

The report makes several recommendations to remedy this problem, including the introduction of a steeper approach path, which would also benefit areas closer to Heathrow. It also recommends that the Government reconsiders its policy of concentrating flight paths, warning that its current objective of focusing only on the number of people affected is "simplistic and out-of-date".

Tim Johnson, Director of AEF and author of the report, said, "The report has positive suggestions on how the situation can be improved. It won't happen overnight but unless a start is made change will not happen. That is the challenge for the next Government."

Environmental Protection UK welcomes the report as a valuable contribution to work towards reducing the impact of noise from aviation – and hopes that its findings will be taken into account by the Department for Transport, Defra and airport operators as noise action planning in practice gets underway.

Read the original Story at Environmental Protection UK