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Heathrow noise 'worse than ever'
Jason Beattie, Chief Political Correspondent02.11.07
The case for Heathrow expansion was blown apart today by a report showing aircraft noise was much worse than previously admitted.
The study found the noise affects millions of people and households living under busy flightpaths were willing to pay for a quieter life. It states that noise levels have worsened since the previous study was done in 1985.
The Department for Transport, which commissioned the report, issued a statement objecting to the main findings and questioning its methodology.
The report, Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England, found 60 per cent of people were "at least very annoyed" by aircraft noise when it was greater than 57 decibels.
It said the sharp increase in the number of flights over the past 20 years had "increased quite remarkably" the annoyance suffered by residents and people were willing to pay £700 a year to eradicate aircraft noise.
Night flights were the main source of anger, with 80 per cent of respondents particularly annoyed by those between 11pm and 3am. Campaigners said the findings were an "inconvenient truth" for the Government as it sought to press ahead with expansion at Heathrow.
John Stewart of the anti-Heathrow expansion group Hacan ClearSkies said: "For over 10 years people in areas more than 15 miles from the airport have been complaining about aircraft noise. This study shows they have not been imagining it." He said the Government "needs to face up to the stark reality that millions of people's lives are being blighted by aircraft noise".
But aviation minister Jim Fitzpatrick said the report neither "undermines nor underpins" the case for a third Heathrow runway and more flights.
He said: "This report gives us a better understanding of the complex issues surrounding aircraft noise but not the robust figures on which it would be safe to change policy.
"The Government accepts that noise from aircraft is a growing concern and will take into account those people affected when considering the costs and benefits of future projects."
The DfT said the report was "not sufficiently robust" for policy making and officials even said people had "subconsciously" given the wrong answers when asked about aircraft noise.
Putney Tory MP Justine Greening said: "This report is being rubbished by the very department that commissioned it because it came up with wrong conclusion."
Reader views (4)
All the foregoing complaints apply here in Finchley too, and that's 25 miles away (as the planes fly).
From just before 6am to midnight and beyond and even in the early hours.
There goes one right now and it's 05:22 and another @ 05:24 on 17 Sept 2009.
Easterly wind operation is the worst here, with east to west inbound flights and up to a deafening, conversation stopping, 83dBA noise levels from takeoffs.
Then there's also the executive jet flights in & out of Northolt.
Why and how does the BAA get away with it ?
This is the Blair Ditched Project in a Brown and unpleasant land.
We need a new airport. Boris has the right idea.
- Martin Gentle, Finchley
Chiswick, 20th August 2009
93 flights before 7am. That's more than one a minute as of 4h42 when i was woken up yet again. This is not right to disturb millions of inhabitants like this. The loss of productivity every day and the stress endured because of this far outweighs the benefits of having those planes from Hong Kong land at 4h42 or 4h26 like last Thursday instead of a more reasonable time like 6h45 or 7am. They should be ashamed of themselves and so should the politicians for agreeing to letting "a few" flights land before 7am, now the flight activity between 4h30 and 7am is just like daytime. Its even more frustrating to know that nothing will be done, that my landlord will not put double glazing or windows for us, there is no grants for this, so we will have to move as I cant sleep anymore. SHAME ON THE GOVERMENT. Where's the democracy in this? Just like Ross said, its beyond me why no one in the goverment cares.
- Steve, Chiswick
I'm totally sick of the Government ignoring residents complaints on aircraft noise from Heathrow, there is clerly no sufficient case for expansion of the airport because it CAN'T EXPAND THERE'S NO SPACE TO DO SO!
It would be very arrogant of Mr.Fitzpatrick go ahead with
expansion of the airport in this light.
I live in Hampton, where most of the time it is quite a quiet area, although when they are on 'easterlies' the aircraft fly over very near to our house, and quite a few of them are very LOW and NOISY and this is very annoying, especially today Sunday where my and other people's peace should be sacred, instead of having it
disturbed frequently by low-flying noisy jets.
Has the Airport operators, Government,CAA or Dft got no
respect for residents wishes who live around the airport.
Athough there is a noise complaints number this is of limited use, since they pass complaints on to ATC , but they probably are'nt able to do anything about it!!
- Ross Anderson, Ross, London, Uk
We used to live in Fulham until recently and one of our reasons for moving out was the unacceptable noise level from planes going into Heathrow. Not only was it impossible to sit in the garden because of the noise, in the summer when the windows were open you would get woken up by planes coming over at 3am. I complained once to the CAA and all the man said on the phone was 'tough, we can fly over whenever we like and it's the price you pay for living in SW London'. We moved to the Suffolk / Cambs border and are now threatened with the same from Stansted - is there nowhere in this country anymore where you can escape plane noise?
- Jo, Cambridge, UK
