Battle of Balsall Common’ over plane noise, from Birmingham flight path trial, goes to Parliament

The Battle of Balsall Common – which has triggered waves of complaints of noise nuisance from planes taking off at Birmingham Airport – is to go to Parliament. Angry residents are raising a protest petition to be sent to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, to ask him to look at this trial, and call it in. People affected say their lives are being made a misery by trials launched in May in advance of new flight paths being made permanent.  This has happened because of the runway extension. People are deeply angry and anxious, because these flight paths are away from the NPR routes (Noise Preferential Routes), which everyone has known about for years. People have checked, in the past, to ensure they have not chosen to live near an NPR. Now, areas which nobody could have guessed would be overflow have planes overhead every few minutes. Campaigners took to the streets of Balsall Common last weekend to get signatures, in a bid to force a Government rethink of the new flight path. David Ellis, of the Balsall Common Action Group, said: ““We are told they are over 3,000 feet but that is not the point – the noise is the problem.” There will be a public meeting on July 16th on the problem.

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A public meeting on the flight path problems will be held at Balsall Common’s Heart of England School at 7pm on July 16.

 

Battle of Balsall Common’ over plane noise goes to Parliament

Angry residents protesting to transport secretary about trials launched in May in advance of new flight paths

The Battle of Balsall Common – which has triggered waves of complaints of alleged noise nuisance from planes taking off at Birmingham Airport – is to go to Parliament.

Angry residents are raising a protest petition to be sent to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

The householders said their lives were being made a misery by trials launched in May in advance of new flight paths.

Campaigners took to the streets of Balsall Common last weekend in a bid to force a Government rethink following the recent opening of the airport’s runway extension.

David Ellis, of the Balsall Common Action Group, said: “There is a lot more noise nuisance and more planes since the trials started in May.

“We are told they are over 3,000 feet but that is not the point – the noise is the problem.

“The runway extension opened at the beginning of May and that is when it started.

“We want the Secretary of State to call it in and have another look at it.

“We will also have HS2 on the other side and, between high-speed rail and the flights, the village is scuppered.

“The petition will go to MP Caroline Spelman and then to the Secretary of State.”

The document calls on Parliament to “urgently review” the flight path plans.

It claimed the trial had failed to ensure aircraft followed the new flight path options accurately

An airport spokesman said: “A trial to test the impact of two potential flight paths has been in operation since May 1.

“It follows a full consultation period last year with the community on the two options.

“The trial is in order for the airport to understand the impact of the options, rather than theoretical modelling, before submitting its final findings to the Civil Aviation Authority.

“The new flight path, to the south of the airport, is required as a result of the runway extension, which is now open.

“It will deliver global connectivity and thousands of new jobs in the future for local people.

“The airport is aware of a petition circulating in the community and is recording and responding to all correspondence received by residents.”

A public meeting on the flight path problems will be held at Balsall Common’s Heart of England School at 7pm on July 16.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/battle-balsall-common-goes-parliament-7382210

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.Birmingham option 5


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Also

Balsall Common and nearby villages to petition Sec of State to get unpopular Birmingham flight path trial reviewed

3.7.2014

After the opening of the Birmingham airport runway extension on 1st May, the airport has been doing a “trial” of a new flight path. This will last for 6 months, till the end of October. The effect of this trial is to create a lot of aircraft noise over villages, Balsall Common in particular. Now the local group, the “Balsall Common Airport Action group” has organised a petition to the Secretary of State, asking that the proposed flight path changes should be reviewed, in view of the sharp increase in noise nuisance to the communities living at the southerly end of the extended runway and the failure of the trial to ensure aircraft follow the new flight path options accurately.  They are organising a protest on 5th July, and they will be going door to door, in the affected villages, gathering support and getting signatures for their petition. Local MP Caroline Spelman is backing the petition, as well as local politicians. People feel their complaints and constructive suggestions have been ignored, and that Paul Kehoe is wholly dismissive of residents’ views.  “It’s all about the money and business profits,” residents claim. 
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https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=22142

 

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