NATS proposes more low flying Stansted planes over north Essex & SSE will keep fighting changes to departure routes
Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) will keep fighting planned changes to the airport’s departure flight paths. NATS first proposed changes to Stansted flight paths in June, but SSE say there must be clear and compelling benefits for local residents before any shift is implemented. NATS plans to route about 50 more outbound planes per day along a flightpath towards Clacton to avoid congestion in the skies over London. NATS received over 400 responses to its recent airspace consultation; about 82% objected to the proposed changes. NATS has now published its Feedback Report claiming that “the package of net operational and environmental benefits presents a compelling case for change”. The changes help NATS meet its targets for flight efficiency, which give more priority to cutting fuel burn and CO2 emissions than cutting noise for those overflown. The planes are unlikely to reach 7,000ft until around Kelvedon, and between 4,000 and 7,000 feet, there has to be a trade-off between cutting noise and cutting fuel burn. Hence consultation. NATS has submitted its Airspace Change Proposal to the CAA and if approved the change would come into effect in December 2015.
.
Tweet
Stop Stansted Expansion campaigners vow to keep fighting changes to airport departure routes
20.11.2014 (Herts & Essex Observer)
STOP Stansted Expansion campaigners have vowed they will keep fighting planned changes to the airport’s departure routes.
Air traffic controller NATS first proposed changes to Stansted flight paths in June. In response, the protesters said that there must be clear and compelling benefits for local residents before any shift was implemented.
NATS received more than 400 responses to its consultation and more than 82% of those who expressed a view objected to the proposed changes.
NATS has now published its Feedback Report claiming that “the package of net operational and environmental benefits presents a compelling case for change”.
.
More low flying planes set to cross north Essex
by Will Lodge (EADT)
November 14, 2014
More low flying planes look set to come across north Essex as they leave Stansted Airport following the end of a public consultation.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the main UK air traffic management provider, is proposing to route more outbound planes along a flightpath towards Clacton to avoid congestion in the skies over London.
It says the move will also be more environmentally friendly as it will allow planes to continuously and more quickly climb to higher altitudes. Around 50 more planes per day would fly along the East route along north Essex, double the current number.
The planes are unlikely to reach 7,000ft until around Kelvedon.
Several hundred objections were made to the plans during a 12-week public consultation.
However while noting the feedback NATS has said none of the responses presented a new case to not go ahead with the proposed changes.
Witham MP Priti Patel said: “Increases in low flying flights will be a cause of concern for residents affected.
“I would expect NATS and the airline companies to engage with communities to mitigate these effects and take a sensible and pragmatic approach should serious complaints be received.”
NATS will submit an Airspace Change Proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority on Wednesday, including all of the feedback.
If approved the change will come into effect in December next year.
Paul Haskins, general manager of London Terminal Control at NATS, said: “We are not surprised by the ratio of objections to expressions of support – in any consultation people are more likely to voice their feelings if they oppose the proposal or feel that it will have a negative impact on them.
“The response confirmed our understanding of general stakeholder concerns and demonstrates that the views of the Stansted community group are in line with general environmental issues highlighted in Department for Transport guidance.
“This is the first part of a long and complex set of airspace changes to deliver the UK’s Future Airspace Strategy. This first proposal will provide environmental benefits through more efficient routings and climb profiles, whilst enabling future stages of the airspace programme, all of which will be widely communicated and consulted on.”
Craig Martin, chairman of Kelvedon Parish Council, said: “Realistically there is not much we can do about it. We have a grudging acceptance that that’s what is going to happen.
“Although it will cause some annoyance and disturbance it is likely to happen, and NATS has a hard job as wherever they send planes it will annoy someone.”
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/more_low_flying_planes_set_to_cross_north_essex_1_3848821
.
.
Earlier:
Stop Stansted Expansion supports call to take part in flight path consultation, and says changes should be postponed
Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) welcomes NATS’ call to local residents to have their say and respond to the proposed transfer of traffic on departure routes from Stansted Airport. The proposed change involves switching daytime traffic from the existing south-east (Dover) departure route to the existing east (Clacton) route (see map). The consultation closes on 8th September. Traffic on the Clacton route would double if this proposal were implemented. NATS’ own figures show 1,470 fewer people would be overflown, but 2,400 people would be overflown more intensively. NATS says that the driver for change is network performance and to avoid Heathrow traffic congestion. SSE says significant changes to Stansted’s airspace are likely to come in the next airspace review phase scheduled for 2018/19. If there is a new south east runway, that will mean significant redesign of Stansted routes in future. Therefore SSE says there must be clear and compelling benefits for local residents before any changes are implemented. They recommend that NATS’ proposed changes should be postponed until the airspace redesign planned for 2018/19.
Click here to view full story…
Plan to redirect Stansted Airport departures to reduce Heathrow congestion
Air traffic control service NATS proposes to redirect the majority of Stansted departures from an established southerly route, to an existing route to the east of the airport. “At the moment, departures from Stansted heading towards the South East are kept lower for longer when compared to the route heading east because of Heathrow arrivals.” The changes would only affect daytime departures. This is to reduce congestion above Heathrow. Arrivals are not affected. NATS has started a 12-week consultation on the proposals. Martin Peachey, noise advisor for Stop Stansted Expansion campaign group said: “We basically support the proposal because NATS say it should reduce the amount of people flown in the day and reduce CO2 emissions. It would remove day time departures for a large area to the south but it would double the amount of flights to the east so that would need to be carefully studied. …. There will be winners and losers.” The changes are part of the NATS’ London Airspace Management Programme (LAMP).
Click here to view full story…