Campaigners from Heathrow, Gatwick and City airports join forces to demand a voice in flight path changes

Campaigners from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports today delivered a joint letter to Patrick McLoughlin, the Secretary of State for Transport, demanding a voice for residents in flight path changes which are expected to be introduced over the next few years. Campaigners have asked for a meeting with the Transport Secretary.

Read the letter here: Gatwick Heathrow and City Airport Flight Path Letter to DfT

The move followes anger from residents at the changes to flight paths which have taken place over the last couple of years. Protest groups have sprung up around Gatwick in response to the changes to both arrival and departure routes. The recent trials at Heathrow sparked a record number of complaints. And in East London furious residents staged public meetings at not being proper consulted about London City’s proposals to concentrate flight paths.

The airspace changes are part of a Europe-wide programme to make more effective use of airspace and are now impacting the whole of the UK. They are designed to enable airlines to save fuel, to allow aircraft to land at and depart from airports more efficiently. In the UK Gatwick and London City have been earmarked as first in line for the changes. Heathrow is expected to have its changes in place by 2019 with national changes by 2020.

Residents fear that the changes will result in excessive concentration of aircraft along selected routes. They are particularly critical of NATS (National Air Traffic Control) and the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), the two organizations who are driving the changes.

John Stewart, who chairs HACAN, the organisation which gives a voice to residents under the Heathrow flight paths, said, “NATS and CAA are remote from residents. They plan these flight path changes in their hi-tec ivory towers. Our letter to the Transport Secretary contains positive proposals for flight paths that could work for both the industry and for residents. They involve providing all residents with some respite from the noise. HACAN is actively engaging with Heathrow to see what can be done. But it does require NATS and the CAA to play ball”.

Stewart added, “London City Airport have been much less willing to engage with us and seem content to simply do what NATS asks them even if it means the creation of noise ghettos.”

HACAN response to the Airports Commission’s Air Pollution Consultation

HACAN argues in its response to the Airport Commissions consultation on Air Pollution that it has failed to show beyond doubt that air pollution limits around Heathrow can stay within within the EU legal limits if a third runway were to be built. Response submitted on 28th May 2015.

Read the full response: Airports Commission air pollution consultation

HACAN South East

Welcome to the HACAN South East Page

HACAN South East is an arm of HACAN. It was set up in September 2017 to give a voice in particular to people living under the flight paths in SE London (roughly from Clapham to Eltham).

A visual representation of aircraft movement linked to Heathrow – Green represent arrivals resulting from westerly winds (30% of the time), Red represent easterly (70% of the time).

Find out the key things we are campaigning for: http://wp.me/P5NPQ9-13m

If you want to find out more about us or are keen to help us email either: info@hacan.org.uk

Heathrow Consultations

Details are on the main HACAN Page but the Airspace Consultation is particularly important to people in SE London.

Consultation Venues: further east than ever before

In a recognition that people are impacted by aircraft noise much further from the airport than previously acknowledged. On Friday 16 Feb (12- 8pm) there will be an exhibition for the first time in Vauxhall. The venue , Wheatsheaf Community Centre, Wheatsheaf Lone, off South Lambeth Road is easily accessed from Brixton, Clappham, Oval, Waterloo and Camberwell.

HACAN, though, is in discussion with Heathrow to have two extra meetings: one further into SE London; one in NE London.

Parts of SE London are also overflown by aircraft arriving at London City Airport when an east wind is blowing. This wasn’t too much of a problem until the flight paths were concentrated in February 2016. Since then the planes have been concentrated over Eltham, Mottingham, Catford, Dulwich, Brixton, Stockwell, Oval and Waterloo. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are expected to comment on these concentrated flight paths by the end of this year. We’ll bring news of that as soon as we get it.

Some days some areas get both Heathrow and City aircraft. Scroll down to find out why.

HACAN South East was launched on 27th September at a packed public meeting at the Oval.

Read our blog outlining practical ways to cut noise across South East London: http://hacan.org.uk/blog/?p=547

Not just a West London problem – people relate their experiences on video of living with aircraft noise.

Click here to look at the videos: http://map.hacan.org.uk/

When people get annoyed by noise

The Government has recognised that people get annoyed by aircraft noise at lower levels than it previously thought. It now accepts the noise from Heathrow can annoy people in SE London. Its Airspace Strategy, published in October 2017, recognised that people can get annoyed by aircraft noise when it averages out over a 16 hour day at 54 decibels. Previously government argued it was 57 decibels. Some people get annoyed at even lower levels.

The figures are based on a study which the Government commissioned from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): Survey of Noise Attitudes 2014.

The chart above, taken from the study, compares the results of the Government sponsored ANIS Study with the new study. 9% of people are highly annoyed when the average is 54 decibels. In geographical terms around Heathrow that goes as far as about Clapham to the east and about 16 miles to the west: about 65,000 people in total. The lower average of 51% extends about as far as Peckham.

The full study: http://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP%201506%20FEB17.pdf

And you can read here the HACAN South East summary of the Government’s new Airspace Strategy: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Airspace-Policy.pdf

Why do parts of SE London sometimes get Heathrow and City planes on the same day? It is all to do with the wind. When the west wind blows, Heathrow planes land over SE London. When it’s an east wind, many areas get City planes. But Heathrow planes also land when an east wind is blowing up to about 5 knots. So on these days both Heathrow and City aircraft are landing over SE London.

Out and About Campaigning

South East London campaigners joined forces with HACAN East and presented a flightpath cake to Tim Johnson, Head of Policy at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Friday 28 July.

We were joined by Keith Prince AM, current Chair of the GLA Transport Committee. The presentation was timed to ask CAA, in the lead up to their flightpath proposals for City Airport, to take into consideration all people and all areas of London who will be affected by their recommendations.

The CAA entered into the spirit of the event with a picture of the cake accompanying this tweet:

Mr Prince extended an invitation to Campaigners to meet him at City Hall in September. He has promised to take our concerns regarding dedicated flight paths, as well as other plane-related issues, and how they affect residents of East and South East London to Mayor of London Rt Hon Sadiq Khan.

It’s been going on for 20 years…….

Although many residents feel that the problem of Heathrow planes has got worse in recent years as it seems flight paths have narrowed, the big change took place in the mid-1990s when planes began joining their final approach to Heathrow much further east than before. Previously they had tended to join it around Barnes. From about 1996 many started to join in SE London. Thus, many people became ‘the new neighbours of Heathrow’.

Read residents stories: http://www.hacan.org.uk/resources/reports/flight.paths.residents.experiences.pdf

And the summary of a major report commissioned by HACAN: http://hacan.org.uk/resources/reports/hacan.flight.paths.study.pdf

Click on to a recent video: https://youtu.be/7SvPAFd9ajI

And one made 10 years ago: https://youtu.be/rXf8o_khz8s

And one made in October 2017 where local residents graphically describe 30 years of living with London City Airport: https://youtu.be/6dMy7cGUVo4

Airports Commission Air Pollution Consultation

The Airports Commission has released a short consultation on air pollution, with 29^th May deadline. The consultation documents can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/airports-commission-air-quality-assessment

This is a technical consultation assessing future air pollution levels around Heathrow and Gatwick if new runways are built.

It is unlikely that this consultation was prompted by the recent Supreme Court ruling that required the Government to draw up plans by the end of the year on how it was going to meet the EU legal limits on air pollution (across the UK). The Airports Commission, under Sir Howard Davies, always intended to do this work.

The legal limits came into force in 2010 under the terms of the EU Air Pollution Directive but the EU has not taken action against breaches of them because no member state has been able to meet the targets. So the Commission is now asking member states to outline plans on how they intend to meet the targets but without having set a new date.

During the last consultation the Airports Commission carried out, it said it was going to do more work on air pollution, particularly on how pollution levels might disperse. This is critical because the predictions were that by 2030 (when any new runway would be up and running) there might still be pockets around the airport that would be over the EU legal limits. Dispersal could potentially spread the pollution more thinly so that no area remained above the limits.

The Airports Commission commissioned the consultancy firm, Jacobs, to do the work on dispersal. Jacobs has found that by 2030 there will be a problem in small areas close to the Bath Road (very close to the airport) if no mitigation measures have been put in place. The problem would be a little worse from the Heathrow Hub scheme that with the Heathrow Airport’s 3^rd runway scheme. But it expects the problem to be resolved within a few years. Jacobs doesn’t appear to foresee a problem at Gatwick.

Jacobs then lists the mitigation schemes by Heathrow – things like encouraging airlines to shut down an engine during taxiing, the use of the extended runway to allow a proportion of the take-off emissions to be well away from the airport boundary and the introduction of congestion charging in the area. But it doesn’t really analyse them. Rather it tends to assumes that, with some mitigation, the levels will be below the EU legal limits in 2030.

There is one other point that it not addressed. A new, if built, will not be running to capacity by 2030. Jacobs doesn’t look at what air pollution levels will be when it is running to capacity. It implies that with mitigation measures in place and, as aircraft become cleaner as the years go by, there should not be a problem. But no detailed work has been done on this.

Protesters stage silent air pollution protest in Terminal 5

Press Release

10/5/15 for immediate use

Protesters Stage Silent Air Pollution Demo in Terminal 5

Around 50 campaigners staged a silent protest against air pollution in Terminal 5 this afternoon. The protesters donned masks and t-shirts to make their point that the high air pollution levels in the Heathrow area should rule out a third runway at the airport (1). The protest comes just days after the Airports Commission announced a further consultation into air pollution at Heathrow (2) and a fortnight after the Supreme Court ordered the UK Government to produce plans by the end of the year on how it intends to tackle pollution across the country (3).

The protesters at Terminal 5 included local people whose homes are threatened by a third runway, activists based at Transition Heathrow and residents whose lives are disturbed by aircraft noise.

Local resident Neil Keveren (4), whose home faces demolition if a third runway goes ahead, said, “Right now air pollution badly affects our communities. In a number of our areas pollution levels are above the legal limits set down by the EU. Heathrow Airport claims things are getting better. But it simply cannot guarantee that, with a third runway and an extra quarter of a million planes a year, air pollution levels will come down so they meet the EU legal limits. It is just wishful thinking.”

The EU legal limits, set out in the Air Pollution Directive, came into force in 2010. Because countries across Europe have struggled to meet them, the EU has not fined member states for breaching the limits. But it has indicated that it expects the member states to draw up plans outlining how they will meet them. The UK Government had argued that it could take its time in drawing up the plans but ten days ago the Supreme Court ruled that it needed to have plans in place by the end of this year.

Since 2010 air pollution levels in areas around Heathrow have consistently breached the EU legal limits. The pollution is caused by both the high traffic volumes on the surrounding motorways and the aircraft using the airport. Heathrow is the only airport in the UK where air pollution is above the legal limit. Even if a second runway is built at Gatwick, it will not exceed the limits.

The Airports Commission, set up in 2012 to look at the case for new runways, issued a consultation last week into further work it has done on air pollution. The consultation closes at the end of this month and its findings will be included in the Commission’s final report which is expected to be published in June. The Commission will either recommend a third runway at Heathrow or a second runway at Gatwick but the Government is not bound by its findings.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

(1). Pictures above

(2). https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/airports-commission-air-quality-assessment

(3). http://www.clientearth.org/news/latest-news/uk-supreme-court-orders-government-to-take-immediate-action-on-air-pollution-2844

(4). Neil Keveren chair SHE (Stop Heathrow Expansion) which represents the communities close to Heathrow whose homes are threatened by a third runway.

For further information:

Neil Keveren: 07850904677

John Stewart: 0207 737 6641; 07957385650

Landmark Air Pollution Ruling Could Scupper 3rd Runway

Press Release

29^th April 2015 for immediate use

Landmark air pollution ruling could impact 3^rd run way at Heathrow

A landmark ruling by the Supreme Court handed down this morning could have implications for a third runway at Heathrow. In a unanimous verdict, five judges ordered the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consult on strict new air pollution plans that must be submitted to the European Commission no later than 31 December 2015. The plans require the Government crack down on the UK’s high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution. Lord Carnwath said the court was “in no doubt about the seriousness” of the UK’s breach of EU law in failing to meet legal pollution limits, which leaves it open to the risk of European Commission fines totalling £300m. The EU Air Quality Directive demanded the UK brought pollution down to legal limits by 2010 or apply for an extension by 2015. But the government in 2011 said that a number of areas, including London, would be unable to comply by 2015 and instead argued the law allowed it to comply “as soon as possible”.

The judgment marks a victory for the campaigning legal firm ClientEarth which had sued the Government over its lack of action.

The judgment could also have implications for a third runway at Heathrow. Areas around the airport continue to be stubbornly above the EU legal limits. It is down to a combination of pollution from the planes and the huge amount of traffic on the M4 and M25. It is the only airport in the UK where the EU limits are breached or are likely to be so in the future.

John Stewart, the chair of HACAN, which campaigns against a third runway, said, “This is a potential show-stopper as far as a third runway is concerned. It is difficult to see how any Government will get away with backing a new runway at Heathrow when the plans it is now required to draw up urgently to present to the EU say it must come up with a coherent plan to cut air pollution.

ENDS

For more information:

John Stewart on 0207 737 6641 or 07957385650

Campaigners issue their ‘noise manifesto’ on International Noise Awareness Day

Press Release

26^th April 2015 for immediate use

April 29^th: International Noise Awareness Day

Campaigners issue their ‘Noise Manifesto’

HACAN, the campaign group which gives a voice residents troubled by noise from Heathrow, has joined noise campaigners representing different organizations which have come together to call on the next Government to take noise seriously. To mark the 20^th anniversary of International Noise Awareness Day (1) on 29^th April, the campaigners have issued their Noise Manifesto. It outlines six key things the next Government could do to improve the noise climate (2). The UK campaigners have made links with anti-noise campaigners in Germany. A day of events, including demonstrations and a conference, will take place in Berlin on 29^th April organized by campaigners against road, rail and aircraft noise .

HACAN chair John Stewart said: “Each year local authorities and government departments are deluged with complaints about noise. And of course complaints about aircraft noise continue to mount. Yet the election manifestos are virtually silent on noise. We are urging the next Government to speak out about noise and implement practical measures to improve the noise climate”.

ENDS

Notes for Editors:

(1). http://chchearing.org/noise/day/

(2). Demands below

For further information:

John Stewart, Chair HACAN, 0207 737 6641 or 07957385650

For more information of the Berlin events:

Erwin Stufler:

+49 172 811 27 78

+49 6131 200 – 516 Büro

erwin.stufler@t-online.de

Six key things the next Government could do to improve the noise climate:

Aircraft Noise: Ensure fair flight paths for all

Road Traffic Noise: Cut speed limits

Rail Noise: Retrofit all trains with quieter brakes – would cut noise by up to 50%

Wind Farm Noise: Update official noise guidelines in order to better assess the impact on communities

Neighbour Noise: Fine local authorities who persistently fail to tackle neighbour noise problems

Piped Music: Ban piped music from public places, such as hospitals, where people have no choice but listen to it

Six simple steps to cut noise next Government could take

HACAN has joined other UK noise campaigners to call on the next Government to take six simple steps which would cut noise: International Noise Awareness Day demands

They have been launched on 29th April, when International Noise Awareness Day celebrates its 20th Anniversary. A major day of action is being staged in Berlin by German air, road and rail noise campaigners: 2015_04_29_Sternfahrt

Schiphol

We routinely are told that, if Heathrow doesn’t expand, people from other UK airports will choose to fly to Schiphol to interchange on to a long-distance flight. The CEO of Schiphol has even rather cheekily called it ‘Heathrow’s third runway’. He knows full well it can never be that because Schiphol has almost reached capacity.

It is not that Schiphol lacks runway space. It has five runways (six if you include one for very small planes) and fewer flights than Heathrow. The capacity constraint is down to the strict rules which exist about which runways can be used and when. There are tight noise regulations in place which mean that all five runways are never in use at any one time. Indeed, rarely are more than three of the runways used at once. And the use of the two runways which go over densely-populated areas is avoided whenever possible.

But here’s the big reason why Schiphol can never become London’s third runway. It has almost reached its permissible noise limits. The airport has a complex way of regulating noise: “the present system as from 2005 consists of 35 points around Schiphol where the actual noise of passing planes is physically measured and added up to annual totals per point. If a total at a certain point exceeds its legal maximum, the relating runway can no longer be used and traffic should be diverted to alternative runways. The maximum capacity of this system is some 480,000 air traffic movements each year.” You can read more about this in the paper Noise Reduction at Schiphol.

The system is being altered so that possibly 510,000 flights will be able to use the airport each year. But that’s it. No more. And not significantly greater than the 480,000 cap at the two-runway Heathrow. The trips from Edinburgh, Manchester or Newcastle to Schiphol to interchange will have a finite limit.

Schiphol is looking to get round its limits by ‘outsourcing’ perhaps as many as 70,000 low-cost, leisure flights to the smaller airports Netherlands. If – and it still very much is ‘if’ that happens – it will free up some space at Schiphol but not enough to dent the myth that Schiphol can ever become Heathrow’s third runway. Gatwick maybe. Stansted possibly. Even Birmingham or Boris Island. But not Schiphol. The Dutch take their noise responsibilities far too seriously for that to happen.

Community Noise Forum set up

Heathrow Airport has set up the Community Noise Forum. It consists of representatives of the Airport, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), National Air Traffic Control (NATS), British Airways, local authorities, community organizations and campaign groups. It was set up following the complaints received during the recent trials carried out by Heathrow and NATS. In particular, it was hoped it could resolve the dispute between Heathrow and the communities where the trials took place that flight paths have or have not returned to their pre-trial pattern. It is the reason why these communities and local authorities – largely to the west of the airport – are at present the main participants. Local authorities and community organizations to the east of the airport are expected to be invited to join at a later stage, though HACAN, as the overall body, is on the Forum and does represent residents in these areas.

Its first task will be to commission an independent study to look at the flight paths before the recent trials took, during the trials and post-trials. The aim is to see whether flight paths post-trial have gone back to their pre-trial routes. Many in the communities impacted – places like Ascot, Teddington, Englefield Green, Lightwater, Binfield and Bracknell, claim they have not. Heathrow Airport claims they have. The independent study will also look into whether any other changes had taken place. The steering group which will draw up the brief for the study and which will oversee it will be drawn entirely from community representatives of the areas where the trials took place. Heathrow has offered technical assistance and will pay for the study. The steering group will meet soon. It will report back to the Community Noise Forum.

NATS explained to the Forum the change they made to some flight paths in June 2014 without telling anybody. It transpires that what happened was that, when easterly winds were blowing, around 20 aircraft a day departing on the Compton Route were moved north and concentrated over a 7 mile band covering places like Ascot, Bracknell and Binfield. Previously they had been spread across a 13 mile band which included areas to the south of these places. It is not regarded as a major change and won’t be reversed.

There is a separate Noise Forum, on which HACAN also has a place along with a local authority representative and representatives from the industry, which doesn’t look at area-specific work but concentrates on more generic issues such as respite.