In 2014 Heathrow had 86,000 noise complaints in 5 months – with a 5-fold increase between 2013 and 2014
Heathrow have disclosed to Richmond Park and North Kingston MP Zac Goldsmith that they received a staggering 86,000 complaints about aircraft noise in just 5 months last year. Overall, 94,114 individual noise complaints were made to Heathrow in 2014 compared to just 18,826 in 2013. That is a 5-fold increase in the number of complaints, and a 3-fold increase in the number of people complaining. Heathrow says this is due to the airspace trails they carried out in the last half of 2014 where they tested new flight paths, both to the west and to the east of the airport. Zac Goldsmith said “the recent flight path trials offer a tiny hint of what’s to come if Heathrow is expanded. The trials affected a small part of West London, whereas a 3rd runway would bring hundreds of thousands of new people into the airport’s noise footprint. At this stage they know nothing about it. This …. demonstrates how badly affected people are by aircraft noise.” The figures also show that nearly 7,000 people complained about night and early morning flights in 2014. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Heathrow and the Wider Economy, recently produced a report showing how the impact of noise from Heathrow’s flight paths has been seriously underestimated.
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Heathrow faces 86,000 Noise Complaints in five months
21.1.2015 (Zac Goldsmith’s website)
Heathrow Airport have disclosed to Richmond Park and North Kingston MP Zac Goldsmith that they received a staggering 86,000 complaints about aircraft noise in just 5 months last year.
Overall, 94,114 individual noise complaints were made to Heathrow in 2014 compared to just 18,826 in 2013. Heathrow have stated that the vast increase is due to the airspace trails they carried out in the last half of 2014 where they tested new flight paths, both to the west and to the east of the airport.
Commenting on the newly released figures Mr Goldsmith said “the recent flight path trials offer a tiny hint of what’s to come if Heathrow is expanded. The trials affected a small part of West London, whereas a third runway would bring hundreds of thousands of new people into the airport’s noise footprint. At this stage they know nothing about it. This astonishing figure not only demonstrates how badly affected people are by aircraft noise, it shows how important it is that Heathrow releases details of the flight paths they intend to use if expansion goes ahead.”
Other figures provided by Heathrow show that nearly 7,000 people complained about night and early morning flights in 2014. In addition to a sharp rise in the number of complaints received by Heathrow in relation to noise, the number of people who lodged complaints also rose by more than 300%.
The release of these figures follow publication of a report by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Heathrow and the Wider Economy, which identifies how the Government, Parliament and the Aviation Industry have seriously underestimated the impact of noise from Heathrow’s flight paths.
In particular the report lambasted Government for failing to use the internationally accepted formula for measuring noise, as set by the World Health Organisation some 15 years ago. Existing noise measurements show a consistently high impact from Heathrow’s noise on local communities but if the Government were to use the WHO formula, that number would increase from 750,000 to approximately 1.5 million people.
Heathrow’s CEO confirmed to the MPs on the Committee that a successful third runway would pave the way for a fourth runway. MPs also took evidence that an expanded Heathrow would mean less respite for residents under the flight path.
Zac Goldsmith added; “the impact of noise today is hard to exaggerate, but with a third runway it would reach a different dimension. A green light for expansion would trigger an almighty backlash from the many hundreds of thousands of residents under the flightpath.”
Peter Willan, Chair of the Richmond Heathrow Campaign said “The dramatic increase in complaints forewarn of great difficulty that will arise in the current redesign of London’s airspace. The blight being created by Heathrow’s aircraft noise over a huge swathe of London is surely enough to scare any government into not supporting more flights.”
Notes to the Editor:
The report:
APPG Report Noise from Heathrow Airport: LINK
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http://www.zacgoldsmith.com/heathrow-faces-86000-noise-complaints-in-five-months/
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See also
MPs group identify serious concerns about noise implications of Heathrow expansion
On the 18th December 2014, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Heathrow and the Wider Economy launched its report ‘Noise from Heathrow Airport’ which sets out how the Government, Parliament and the Aviation Industry have seriously underestimated the impact of noise from Heathrow’s flight paths. The report considered the present and future noise impact of Heathrow’s flight paths, with the existing two runways, and with the proposed 3rd runway. It found a substantial list of gaps in HAL’s proposals and has produced a list of actions for the Government, Airport’s Commission and HAL that are necessary to tackle the existing problem and that are central to the consideration of any 3rd runway. These include the need for noise to be measured using the WHO formula; the need for full information about future flight paths, and respite periods, so residents are properly informed; proper estimates of numbers affected by noise in future, taking into account the anticipated growth in population in affected areas; and reduction in night flights. The APPG notes that HAL’s CEO has confirmed to the APPG that a successful 3rd runway would pave the way for a 4th runway.