I have sent this letter to the Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport in regard to the issue of aircraft noise. I am also making representations to NATs, Wokingham Borough Council and to the Aviation Minister:
John Redwood MP writes to Heathrow & NATS asking for flight paths to revert to earlier pattern
John Redwood, the MP for Wokingham – about 20 km west of Heathrow – has written to Heathrow, to NATS and to Wokingham Council, about the impact of Heathrow aircraft noise on his constituency. He says: “Last year, NATS began experimenting with new trial routes to Heathrow. These were discontinued early as a result of the new noise levels, which were intolerable. However, the routes did not revert to the old pattern. What seems to happen now is a concentration of all flights in narrow corridors instead of spreading them out, creating air motorways over my constituency which cause big disturbance and unhappiness. As a result, this issue has become very contentious locally. It would be better if NATS could go back to the system operated prior to last year’s ill-conceived experiments. This would help to reduce the concentrated noise.” He says to the Council: “I think it is important for the council to be aware that this issue is very contentious locally and become more so in recent months. It appears that there is now a concentration of flights in narrow corridors instead of spreading them out, creating air motorways over the local area which cause big disturbance and unhappiness.” He says it “would also be helpful if planes entering and departing Heathrow adopted a steeper take-off and landing approach to enable them to fly higher.” He has expressed guarded support for the idea of another runway in the past.
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Letter to the Chief Executive of NATS on aircraft noise
I have sent this letter to the Chief Executive of NATS in regard to the issue of aircraft noise. I am also making representations to Heathrow Airport, Wokingham Borough Council and to the Aviation Minister:
The letter:
Mr Martin Rolfe
Chief Executive Officer
NATS, 4000 Parkway
Whiteley, Fareham
Hampshire PO15 7FL
8 October 2015
Dear Mr Rolfe
I am writing to you about the impact that overhead noise from aircraft traveling to and from Heathrow Airport is having on my constituents.
Last year, NATS began experimenting with new trial routes to Heathrow. These were discontinued early as a result of the new noise levels, which were intolerable. However, the routes did not revert to the old pattern.
What seems to happen now is a concentration of all flights in narrow corridors instead of spreading them out, creating air motorways over my constituency which cause big disturbance and unhappiness. As a result, this issue has become very contentious locally.
It would be better if NATS could go back to the system operated prior to last year’s ill-conceived experiments. This would help to reduce the concentrated noise. I enclose an example of correspondence I have received from local residents, which demonstrates the impact this is having.
I would appreciate your comments on this matter.
Yours sincerely
John Redwood
John Redwood has also written to Holland-Kaye
Letter to the Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport on aircraft noise
The letter:
Mr John Holland-Kaye
Chief Executive Officer
Heathrow Airport Holdings Limited
The Compass Centre, Nelson Road
Hounslow, Middlesex TW6 2GW
8 October 2015
Dear Mr Holland-Kaye
I am writing further to our recent meeting at which we discussed the impact of overhead noise from aircraft travelling to and from Heathrow Airport.
As you are aware, this issue is very contentious locally and has become more so in recent months. It appears that there is now a concentration of flights in narrow corridors instead of spreading them out, creating air motorways over my constituency which cause big disturbance and unhappiness.
I enclose an example of correspondence I have received from local residents, which demonstrates the impact this is having. I would welcome your comments in response to this.
I believe we need to return to the previous status quo whereby flights operated on a much wider corridor, which helped to mitigate much of the noise. I would be grateful if you could raise this matter with NATs and encourage them to do more to tackle this problem.
It would also be helpful if planes entering and departing Heathrow adopted a steeper take-off and landing approach to enable them to fly higher.
Yours sincerely
John Redwood
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Letter to the Chief Executive of Wokingham Borough Council on aircraft noise
I have sent this letter to the Chief Executive of Wokingham Borough Council in regard to the issue of aircraft noise. I am also making representations to NATs, Heathrow Airport and the Aviation Minister:
The letter:
Mr Andy Couldrick
Chief Executive
Wokingham Borough Council
Civic Offices, Shute End
Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1BN
8 October 2015
Dear Andy
Thank you for your email note to me following our recent meeting.
You explained that Wokingham Borough Council has not received any significant volume of complaints about the impact of overhead noise from aircraft travelling to and from Heathrow Airport.
I think it is important for the council to be aware that this issue is very contentious locally and become more so in recent months. It appears that there is now a concentration of flights in narrow corridors instead of spreading them out, creating air motorways over the local area which cause big disturbance and unhappiness.
I enclose an example of correspondence I have received from local residents, which demonstrates the impact this is having. I am sending this onto you for your information.
Yours sincerely
John Redwood
Heathrow noise
I have arranged a meeting with the Chief Executive of Heathrow to take up the question of more noise from aircraft over the Wokingham constituency. Many residents remain unhappy about the change of flightpaths put through without consultation. I will also review ways in which aircraft noise could be reduced. Anyone with points they would like me to put can log them here or send them to me at Parliament, London SW1A 0AA or 30 Rose Street Wokingham RG40 1XU.
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/category/wokingham-and-west-berkshire-issues/
Heathrow noise
Yesterday a letter arrived in my email box from the Chief Executive of Heathrow. He wants my support in case Heathrow emerges as the preferred location for an extra runway from the imminent Report.
I have written back to him reminding him that recent changes to flight patterns have increased the noise over my constituency. This took place with no advertisement or public consultation. I have held meetings with both Heathrow and NATs to complain. I am awaiting answers to my questions about what measures they propose to take to reduce the current noise levels and to reconsider the flight paths.
I have asked the Chief Executive himself to look into this important matter, which has reduced support for Heathrow in the Wokingham area. I want to know if the flightpaths can be changed back, if the planes can climb and descend more steeply so they are higher over us, if pilots can be required to fly in less noisy ways, if future capacity increases could remove the need for stacking and circling, and if more use can be made of quieter planes.
I will pursue these issues with Heathrow, NATs and Ministers.
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2015/05/16/heathrow-noise-2/
Heathrow’s future and aircraft noise
I have long held the view that London does need more airport capacity. I had to accept that the last Parliament had no mandate to back airport expansion, and no wish by many MPs to decide it. The next Parliament will be different.
The main parties have all agreed that a decision does have to be made, and have agreed to be guided by – but not bound by – the report which will be published into the competing claims of Heathrow and Gatwick shortly after May 7th.
I have not come to a final conclusion on the best answer, because I wish to read the report. I also would like to hear more views from residents in the Wokingham constituency. I am also most concerned about the increase in flights and noise over the constituency in recent months, and unhappy about how this occurred and how the matter was handled by NATS. I will make further representations to both Heathrow and NATS if elected on May 7th. I will also link the issue of noise to the decision on future airport expansion, as noise will be an important consideration for many living within range of Heathrow as we do.
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2015/05/01/heathrows-future-and-aircraft-noise/
Meeting with Heathrow Airport management
Dr Lee, MP for Bracknell, and I met with representatives of Heathrow airport on Wednesday 18th March to discuss airport noise.
We had asked for the meeting on discovering that changes were made to flight routes last year without telling the local community. Readers of this site will know that I and others challenged the airport when it was conducting experiments with new routes last autumn. The airport accepted that these trial routes were thought too noisy by many of us and ended the trials early. However, noise levels still seemed different. Heathrow denied there had been any other changes.
They now inform us that NATs did indeed make operational changes last year which concentrate more flights over Bracknell and Wokingham during easterly operations. The airport apologised again, but said they did not know of this change. Apparently it is an operational change for safety reasons which NATs may do without consultation.
Dr Lee and I pressed the airport to do more to control noise. I raised the following issues
1. Can very early arrivals be delayed to a more civilised hour ? A first flight can come at 4.30am, though outbound flights start at 6am.
2.Can airlines be encouraged or made to use quieter planes for the early or late flights?
3. Can plans be advanced to get planes to climb higher sooner, or descend on steeper paths, to cut noise further from the airport?
4. Can more incentives be introduced to encourage use of quieter planes by airlines?
5. What action is taken to deal with poor flying by the occasional pilot who uses too much thrust/airbraking/banking and turning in a way which increases noise?
I was told work was going on with all of these matters. I asked for a report on what we should expect by way of improvement.
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2015/03/21/meeting-with-heathrow-airport-management/
Reply to Heathrow noise complaints
I have had the following reply to the complaint I placed on the Heathrow site. I still recommend constituents register their own complaints on the Heathrow noise site as well:
” I am sorry you have been disturbed by aircraft using Heathrow. Your complaint has been registered.
The airspace trials ended on the 12 November and flights have now returned to pre-trial patterns.
During the trial your area was affected when the airport is on what is known as ‘westerly operations’ (i.e when there are westerly winds). During periods of westerly operations, planes will land over London and depart towards the west. However since the trial ended, we have mainly been on easterly operations. During these periods your area will see overflight either from planes making their way to the final approach into Heathrow or as they depart on route 6 and head west. This happened prior to the trial. I have attached some slides to show how your area is affected during easterly operations. It also shows the situation prior to the trial starting.
In light of concerns that flights have not returned to pre-trial patterns, we have also carried out some analysis that looks at the numbers and heights of aircraft before and after the trial. This analysis can be found on our websiteHeathrow.com/noise. “
http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2014/11/24/reply-to-heathrow-noise-complaints/
……… and there are more entries on Heathrow on John Redwood’s page at http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/?s=heathrow&searchsubmit=Search
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