CPRE report shows UK monitoring of aircraft noise ‘seriously underestimates’ disturbance to people’s quality of life and health

CPRE is calling on the Government to improve the way it monitors aircraft noise after new research shows current maps seriously underestimate the problem.  This comes at a time when there are proposals for airport expansion across the country, and as the Government prepares a new aviation strategy. The research, commissioned by CPRE, was carried out by Aviation Consultants, To70.  It looked at the impact of noise pollution at lower levels than those usually mapped in the UK now. These lower levels, already used for monitoring noise pollution in other European countries, are believed to be a better indicator of the true impact of noise pollution below and near flight paths.  The report uses Gatwick airport as an example, but the findings would apply at any airport.  Currently the standard measure above which plane noise is regarded to “annoy” people is 55dBALden (a noise average), but this is far too high. A noise contour is produced for this noise level. But the WHO recommends reducing aircraft noise levels to 45 decibels in the day. The noise contour for 45dB is hugely larger than that for 55dB. CPRE says the government should commission independent research into the impact of aviation noise on health. Also that the ICCAN should be given statutory powers on noise.
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New Research Shows True Impact of Aircraft Noise Pollution

27th January 2020

Press release from CPRE

The Countryside Charity, CPRE, is today calling on the Government to improve the way it monitors aircraft noise after new research shows current maps seriously underestimate the problem. 

This comes in the face of proposals for airport expansion across the country and as the Government prepares a new aviation strategy.

The research, commissioned by CPRE, was carried out by Aviation Consultants, To70. The study maps data which measures the impact of noise pollution at lower levels than those currently mapped in the UK. These low levels, which are already used for monitoring noise pollution in other European countries, are believed to be a better indicator of the true impact of noise pollution on the countryside and urban areas.

The research is a central part of a new report: ‘Flight Blight: The social and environmental cost of aviation expansion’.

The report uses Gatwick airport as an example and finds that applying appropriate standards increases the area impacted by aircraft noise fivefold. If this European style modelling was applied to other airports it is expected it would show large increases in the areas affected by noise.

Campaigners say measuring noise at a lower level than currently mapped is a more accurate representation of the extent and severity of the noise pollution:

“We are becoming more sensitive to low level aircraft noise,” says CPRE Sussex Director, Kia Trainor. “For many people it is not just a minor annoyance: Noise has been linked to serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety and disturbed sleep”.

“There are also other less quantifiable impacts such as fear – for example about climate change or safety – and the stress caused by the discovery that a formerly quiet location where you live is increasingly blighted by noise pollution”.

CPRE London Director, Neil Sinden agrees and believes that the impact of noise pollution is becoming increasingly important:

“While much of the debate over aviation expansion has quite rightly focused on the climate change impacts,” he says. “The more immediate impacts of noise pollution that has direct effects on human health are increasingly important. The Government’s  forthcoming aviation strategy must fully address both sets of issues.”

The report was commissioned by CPRE’s Network Aviation Group (CPRE NAvG) which is comprised of CPRE branches in the South East affected by aviation noise. The report makes the following four recommendations:

  1. The UK should monitor and report at lower noise threshold levels as this better reflects people’s experience of aircraft noise.
  2. Government should commission independent research into the impact of aviation noise on health.
  3. The Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN) should be given statutory powers so that communities’ distrust of the aviation industry is reduced.
  4. The Government should include aviation CO2emissions within the net zero greenhouse gas emissions target and further aviation expansion should be ruled out on climate grounds.

Andy Smith, Director of CPRE Surrey believes ICCAN could play a key role:

“ICCAN should be given additional powers, to genuinely reduce levels of aircraft noise,” he says. “Its role is not to restrict the growth of the industry, but to attempt to reduce the amount people who feel the need to complain about noise.”

The full report is Flight Blight CPRE NavG 

See also  To70 Noise Report 

For more information contact:

CPRE Sussex Director, Kia Trainor   kia.trainor@cpresussex.org.uk Phone: 07773 342208

CPRE London Director, Neil Sinden neil@cprelondon.org.uk  Phone: 07946 805354

CPRE Surrey Director, Andy Smith cpre.surrey@btconnect.com

CPRE Sussex Trustee, Sally Pavey  sallypavey@yahoo.com  Phone: 07831 632537

http://www.cpresussex.org.uk/campaigns/gatwick/item/download/977

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Jet noise affects more people than feared

Ben Webster, Environment Editor (The Times)
January 27 2020

Aircraft noise is blighting the lives of more residents than the government admits, a new report says.

The official threshold used in the UK to determine whether noise from jets causes significant disturbance is much higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organisation.

The Civil Aviation Authority says 57 decibels (dBA) of aircraft noise between 7am and 11pm has been deemed “significantly annoying” and mitigation may be required, such as airports paying for homes to have double glazing. The EU uses a slightly lower threshold of 55 decibels. The WHO recommends reducing aircraft noise levels to 45 decibels in the day and 40 decibels at night and says that higher levels damage health and disturb sleep.

The report, commissioned by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), uses Gatwick as an example and finds that 75km2 around the airport is impacted by aircraft noise above 55 decibels but 409km2 above 45 decibels.

It comes as parliament begins scrutiny of the government’s Aviation Bill, which will enable a major redesign of flight paths across the UK that could result in areas not overflown being affected by aircraft noise. The report recommends using the WHO threshold when determining expansion plans and deciding mitigation measures as it says “this better reflects people’s experience of aircraft noise”.

“If you have decided to live somewhere with certain expectations of the quality of life and ‘quiet’, you will experience noise as much more annoying than if you were expecting it,” it adds.

Kia Trainor, CPRE Sussex director, said: “We are becoming more sensitive to low-level aircraft noise. For many people it is not just a minor annoyance. Noise has been linked to serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety and disturbed sleep.

“There are also other less quantifiable impacts such as fear and the stress caused by the discovery that a formerly quiet location where you live is increasingly blighted by noise pollution.”

The report calls for independent research into the impact of aviation noise on health. It says the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise, created last year and funded by the Department for Transport, should be given statutory powers “so that communities’ distrust of the aviation industry is reduced”. The Department for Transport said the proposed changes to flight paths would include ensuring aircraft climbed and descended more steeply, therefore disturbing fewer people.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the changes would also help cut delays and reduce the carbon footprint of flights by allowing planes to take more direct routes.

A DfT spokesman said: “We take the health impacts of aviation noise very seriously which is why we established an independent commission to advise us on the best ways to reduce noise pollution.”

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jet-noise-affects-more-people-than-feared-bvrlmmkrn

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UK monitoring of aircraft noise ‘seriously underestimates’ disturbance to people’s health

Flight cacophony ‘more annoying’ than road or rail and we are becoming increasingly sensitive to it, research finds

By Jane Dalton @JournoJane  (Independent)

27.1.2020

The way aircraft noise is monitored in the UK “seriously underestimates” the disturbance it causes, research suggests.

Some European countries, such as the Netherlands, start measuring plane noise at 45 decibels (dB), but the UK starts it at 55dB – the minimum it is legally obliged to, which has caused needless disruption to people’s lives and health, the report says.

Countryside campaigners, who say lower levels are a better indicator of noise pollution, are calling for the government to make the monitoring more sensitive, which could have significant effects on decisions over airport planning.

It comes as airport expansion plans are being considered across the UK, including a new Heathrow runway, and as the government prepares a new aviation strategy.

The research, commissioned by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), is a central part of a new report, Flight Blight: the Social and Environmental Cost of Aviation Expansion.

“Research shows that aircraft noise is more ‘annoying’ than road or rail noise and that we are becoming increasingly sensitive to it,” the report says.

Mapping at lower levels would lead to action plans taking account of considerably more people, according to the new research, by aviation consultancy To70. The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for monitoring noise around airports and publishing information about its impact.

In 2018 the World Health Organisation recommended reducing aircraft noise levels to 45dB in the daytime and 40dB at night.

Watch more

Heathrow expansion ‘will expose 1.6m people to near constant noise’

Using Gatwick airport as an example, the report says that applying more “appropriate” standards increased the area affected by aircraft noise five-fold.

Kia Trainor, the director of CPRE Sussex, said: “We are becoming more sensitive to low-level aircraft noise. For many people it is not just a minor annoyance: noise has been linked to serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety and disturbed sleep.”

She told The Independent: “Research shows experiences of noise are not linear – lots of factors come into play.

“Even though planes are getting quieter people are becoming more sensitive to noise.”

A combination of factors could be responsible, she said, including people’s expectations of peace and quiet, trust in the aviation industry, the climate crisis and a rise in numbers of flights.

As well as reducing the noise-reporting threshold, the report recommends the government should commission independent research into the impact of aviation noise on health.

It also calls for the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise to have statutory powers so that communities’ distrust of the aviation industry is reduced.

And the report authors want aviation CO2 emissions to be included in the government’s net-zero greenhouse gas target and further aviation expansion to be ruled out on climate grounds.

The Independent has asked the Department for Transport for its response.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/aircraft-noise-airport-expansion-heathrow-gatwick-decibels-health-cpre-a9301996.html

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Report finds aircraft noise could be five times higher than previously thought at Gatwick

By Emily Walker (The Argus)

A REPORT Flight Blight CPRE NavG  released today shows aircraft noise could be five times higher than previously thought around Gatwick.

Campaigners are calling for the Government to improve the way it monitors aircraft noise as new research shows current maps seriously under-estimate the issue.

The research, commissioned by countryside charity CPRE was carried out by Aviation Consultants, To70.

The study maps data which measures the impact of noise pollution at lower levels than those currently mapped in the UK. These low levels, which are already used for monitoring noise pollution in other European countries, are believed to be a better indicator of the true impact of noise pollution

The report uses Gatwick as an example and finds that applying appropriate standards increases the area affected by aircraft noise fivefold.

Campaigners say measuring noise at a lower level than currently mapped is a more accurate representation of the extent and severity of the noise pollution:

CPRE Sussex director Kia Trainor said: “We are becoming more sensitive to low level aircraft noise.For many people it is not just a minor annoyance. Noise has been linked to serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, depression and anxiety and disturbed sleep.

“There are also other less quantifiable impacts such as fear, for example about climate change or safety, and the stress caused by the discovery that a formerly quiet location where you live is increasingly blighted by noise pollution.”

The report recommends the UK should monitor and report at lower noise threshold levels as this better reflects people’s experience of aircraft noise. It suggests the Government should commission independent research into the impact of aviation noise on health and calls for the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise to be given statutory powers so communities’ distrust of the aviation industry is reduced.

Campaigners also say the Government should include aviation CO2 emissions within the net zero greenhouse gas emissions target and further aviation expansion should be ruled out on climate grounds.

See the report at  Flight Blight CPRE NavG 

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/18188293.report-finds-aircraft-noise-five-times-higher-previously-thought-gatwick/

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