Noise News
Below are links to stories about noise in relation to airports and aviation.
Heathrow campaign, HACAN, will not be taking part in the consultation on noise compensation, for a 3rd runway
On 21st July Heathrow published a consultation on how it hopes to persuade thousands of people, who would be badly affected by increased aircraft noise from its operations, to accept money as compensation. It is offering £550 million, if it is allowed to build a 3rd runway, in various schemes. The £550 million is a one-off, not an annual sum. The aim is to buy off opposition. The existence of the consultation aims to convey the impression that a 3rd runway is inevitable, and that Heathrow is being stunningly generous. Neither is true. The community group dealing in particular with noise due to Heathrow, HACAN, has had numerous complaints from residents who are furious about the assumptions being made in the Heathrow consultation. They do not like being steamrollered into discussions about compensation for something they deeply oppose. HACAN will not be taking any part in the consultation, and not encouraging its members to do so. They feel the compensation discussion "puts the cart before the horse". Providing Heathrow with assistance in how best to win over residents, whose quality of life will be reduced by a new runway, is not in the interests of those overflown, now or in the future.
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Court orders end to 2 flight paths over Brussels, which have been strongly opposed since February
In response to the heated opposition by thousands of Francophone residents of Brussels, and the successful "Pas Question" campaign, a court in Brussels has ordered that two of the new flight paths over the city should be stopped. These are a flight path called "Canal" and one called "turn left" from the airport. These flight paths came into operation on 6th February this year, under the "Plan Wathelet" and reflect the complicated politics of Belgium. The judgement, by the Brussels Court of First Instance, must be applied within 3 months or otherwise there is a penalty of a fine of €50,000 per day. The ordinance imposes in effect a return to the situation prior to February 6th. The association "Pas Question" describes the judgement as an "immense relief" that what they describe as a nightmare of living with the aircraft noise for 175 days has ended. They expect the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Mobility to take "immediate" measures required to implement the court decision and change flight paths away from heavily populated routes. There need to be impact assessment studies, and consultation, before flight paths are changed - a broader solution for all residents affected by the airport.
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Caroline Spelman MP calls for end to Birmingham flight path trials
Meriden MP Caroline Spelman has demanded the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, calls a halt to Birmingham Airport's flight path trials across her borough, since 1st May, after being handed a petition with over 1,500 signatures. The petition, which has been signed by a number of local action groups, calls on Transport Secretary to intervene in the trial following complaints over noise. The airport has been trialling two options for new flight paths for the past 6 months as part of the new runway extension. But residents claim the aircraft are not sticking to the routes accurately, causing planes to fly closer to their homes. Caroline Spelman says the fact the planes are not flying the accurate routes has invalidated the trial, and a review is needed of what has gone wrong. ". If the airport plumps for a compromise route which is different from the original two options there would need to be a further consultation." The airport claims its new runway extension, as well as creating distressing noise and disruption for several thousand people, will " deliver global connectivity and thousands of new jobs in the future for local people." The CAA will finally decide on the flight paths.
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MP wants to meet with airport over flood of runway noise complaints (Not UK – but Calgary, Canada)
In late June this year a new runway at Calgary Airport, in Ontario Canada, opened. It had been in the planning for years. Calgary airport is not far from the city. Now people are finding themselves seriously overflown, and are very upset by the extent of the noise and disruption -which is greater than they had anticipated. The noise is always worst in summer, when people want to be outside, or have windows open. A Calgary MP has now met airport officials after receiving over 100 complaints from his constituents about noise, due to planes using the new runway. The MP wants there to be “dialogue” between the airport authority and nearby residents, in the hope that some solution can be found for their problems. The MP, and the affected residents, say they recognize the airport is an important economic driver for the city, but said that long-time residents deserve to be part of the conversation. The airport has to act as a "responsible corporate citizen". There are long established communities, in existence for decades, under the new flight paths, which have never had any aircraft noise problems before. People are stunned by what started over their heads - from 6am onwards. This is exactly the same as is happening around airports in so many countries. Truly a globalised issue.
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Restrictions on UK ‘night flights’ at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted extended until 2017
In the Government's response to the Airports Commission's December 2013 interim report, Patrick McLoughlin announced that plans to more than double the number of ‘night flights’ at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports have been postponed until 2017. Under proposals outlined in the Commission’s interim report the number of planes allowed to land at the airport before 6am each day would have increased from 16 to 35 from 2015. The government now says it wants to ensure “regulatory stability” at south east airports while the Commission makes its final recommendations on which airport should be recommended to be allowed to build a new runway. The government is also extending the ban on "rare movements made by older noisier types of aircraft.” McLoughlin said: “This decision will help give certainty around the night noise environment for those living near the airports, as well as ensuring operational capacity at these airports is not affected pending decisions on any new airport capacity in light of the commission’s final report.” The government has also postponed the Commission’s recommendation for an Independent Aviation Noise Authority.
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New EU rules on airports seen as too timid to reduce extent of aircraft noise
There is serious concern, in the UK and other European countries, that new rules on aviation noise, that are due to take come into force across the EU in 2016, will fall short of what is needed to protect people living near airports. The EU’s new regulation calls for creating a “balanced approach” (ie balancing the protection of citizens living near airports with the freedom to travel, and economic development). The industry is meant to be using less noisy planes, and making various other minor changes - while allowing a growing number of flights. Heathrow already has the largest number, of any European airport, of people affected by aircraft noise. The community group HACAN believes the new regulations offer little relief as the law lacks binding noise reduction rules. "Until there is a definite target to be met, and a date by which that target has to be met, and legal limits, there really is very little incentive for airports or national governments to significantly reduce noise.” It has been noted that Heathrow is more inclined to engage with those suffering from aircraft noise, and make efforts to deal with their problem, in their bid for another runway.
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Residents in Chicago, fed up with O’Hare airport jet noise, take to the streets to fight it
O'Hare airport in Chicago has been upsetting residents to the northwest of the city, by changing flight paths, so some people are being over flown a great deal than before. This is the result of the O'Hare Modernization Project that took effect in October 2013. The changes mean that 85% of O'Hare arrivals and departures between 11 pm and 6am will fly over homes in certain suburbs. Those living under these flight paths face not only the noise, the annoyance, the potential impacts on their health and the loss of sleep, but also a decrease in their property prices. The local community campaign, FAiR (Fair Allocation in Runways) has been touring affected neighbourhoods giving out door hanger signs encouraging people to get active and fight the flight paths, or else "kiss your property values goodbye." They plan to hand out door hangers to 50,000 homes. They also have "yard signs" (placards to stick in the front garden) for the campaign, selling these to raise campaign funds. Just as in London and near other UK airports, people are devastated by the new noise pollution. One commented that even with noise insulation, it was impossible to avoid the noise in the neighbourhood, even by going shopping, going swimming, going to the park. It cannot be avoided.
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Gatwick admits to sacrificing the lives of those in countryside to satisfy its expansion plans
The Gatwick flight path trial, and other intensified flight paths associated with Gatwick, continue to cause not only annoyance but real distress to perhaps thousands in the area. In an article reported in part of the aviation media, some of the anger and frustration comes across, as well as the callous manner in which Gatwick airport appears to view people who live in the countryside, and whose quality of life has been attacked by plane noise. Stewart Wingate is reported as saying "Why would you choose to fly a quarter of a million more planes every year over one of the world's most densely populated cities (London) when instead you can fly them mostly over fields." His ignorant comment about the area over-flown by Gatwick planes as just fields has enraged people. The article says Mr Wingate "appears to suggest sacrificing the lifestyle, peace and quiet of those who have chosen to live outside cities for the profit of a few - the foreign owners of Gatwick Airport." The airport has already started the process of 'Air Grab' over a number of Sussex towns and villages. That is a frightening prospect when Mr Wingate has said his ambition is to make Gatwick larger than Heathrow is today.
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Newham Council warns London City Airport over night time disruption, for 3 years, for its building works
Campaigners against London City Airport expansion fear years of night time disruption if a planning application is approved. The group "Stop City Airport" say long-suffering residents in the area are already facing increased noise issues due to Crossrail works and from the proposed Chinese business park by ABP (Associated British Ports). Stop City Airport raised its latest concerns after a letter from Newham Council was made public, expressing fears over night-time construction work. Campaigner Alan Haughton said: "There will be no relief for residents. Aircraft noise all day long and as soon as that finishes, non-stop piling for three years at least." The council's senior development manager Chris Gascoigne said the airport was proposing a construction programme lasting up to 7 years, with 3 of those being 24 hours a day. He commented: "In our view the proposed night time construction noise impacts are not acceptable and represent a potential reason for refusal of planning permission." The airport has been asked if it can reduce operation hours, to do construction during the day, but council officers have yet to get a reply. The airport's plans include 7 new aircraft parking stands, a 3-storey passenger pier, noise barriers and a 260-bedroom hotel.
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MP for Arundel & South Downs, Nick Herbert, raises Gatwick flight path trial concerns
Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert has raised concerns about aircraft noise over Downland villages resulting from the ADNID flight path trial from Gatwick. This is the one that flies over Warnham and nearby villages, and has caused uproar and extensive protest to the west and south west of Gatwick. Mr Herbert has receiving numerous complaints from constituents in Kirdford, Wisborough Green, Pulborough and West Grinstead, who are getting lower flying aircraft and noise over their villages. Mr Herbert has now written to Mr Wingate seeking clarification as to whether the trial route may be adopted in the future, reiterating that this would cause unacceptable disruption to the affected villages. People need reassurance that this flightpath will not become permanent. Mr Herbert said: "I think this foreshadows a longer-term concern, which is that further expansion at Gatwick could result in greater noise from flights over this part of West Sussex, as well as increasing development pressures on the County which are already a real problem." Earlier a group of 5 MPs (Crispin Blunt, Paul Beresford, Nicholas Soames, Sir John Stanley, and Charles Hendry) formed a group to represent the serious local concern at the plan for a 2nd runway.