Category: Latest news

New Study: Dramatic increase in flight numbers over parts of South East London

A new study (1) reveals a dramatic increase in the number of flights over many areas of South East London in recent years.  Corridors of Concentration, published today by HACAN and Plane Hell Action, also found that flight paths have become more concentrated. The study was carried out to highlight the current impact of aircraft noise on south east London and to influence the policy debate by feeding into Heathrow’s recent consultation on future flight path design.

Over a dozen areas from Clapham Common in the west to Greenwich in the east were surveyed.  The number of aircraft audible from each location was recorded.  Key counts were verified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The study found that:

  • The area is heavily overflown, with typically 38 planes an hour audible to many communities.  This could rise to over 40 during busy periods.
  • Increased concentration of flights has taken place in recent years. More than ever, flights are being guided through ‘concentrated corridors’ which means particular communities are especially badly hit.
  • The overall number of flights is much the same as when we last surveyed the area 10 years ago but this masks significant changes in certain places:

– the number of flights in the east of the region has increased dramatically: daily flights in the Brockley corridor grew by 135 between 2011 and 2017; Greenwich saw an increase of 165 a day.

– flight numbers in the ‘southern corridor’ – which is focused on the southern runway – have risen significantly.

– increased concentration has meant more flights for particular communities.  Although the study focused on daytime flights, it found evidence to suggest night flights have also become more concentrated.

The study concluded many more planes are joining their final approach corridors further east than before and are more concentrated within those corridors.   Increased concentration and the join point shifting have meant that people living south of the river are experiencing an increased density of turning aircraft over their homes.

The study made three key recommendations:

  • In the short-term, flight paths need to be varied as much as possible to reduce the concentration identified.
  • The practice of concentrating night flights over particular communities should be avoided.
  • In the longer-term, when Heathrow redesigns its airspace, it needs to ensure that the new technology is used to distribute arrivals fairly over multiple approach routes.

 Dan Scorer, of Plane Hell Action, said: “This study confirms everything that people have been telling us across south east London.  The increased concentration of flights is driving many people to despair, with no escape from the constant noise over our heads.  We can’t wait 7 years for Heathrow to change flight paths – action is needed now.”

HACAN chair John Stewart said, “This study makes a powerful case that the problems caused by flights to Heathrow are not confined to West London and areas close to the airport.  For many communities in South East London the situation has got worse rather than better over the last decade.”

ENDS

 Notes for editors:

(1). Link to the study:  http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Corridors-of-Concentration-Report-1.pdf

For further information:

John Stewart on 0207 737 6641 or 07957385650

Dan Scorer on 07949 653 704

Community Engagement Board

Rachel Cerfontyne has been appointed as the first chair of the new Community Engagement Board.  She spent her early years in Feltham, started life as a social worker and has over twenty years’ experience in leading public sector and charitable organizations.  Her most recent role was as Deputy Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission, where she oversaw their two largest investigations: the Hillsborough Disaster and the Rotherham Child Sexual Abuse scandal.

Commenting on her appointment, Rachel Cerfontyne said:

“My highest priority is getting out and about, meeting people in the local communities and hearing their views. I am keen to listen and learn and to ensure that the membership and activities of the HCEB are shaped by the key stakeholders, especially Heathrow’s closest neighbours. I’ve already started meeting with local community representatives and over the coming weeks and months look forward to engaging formally and informally from all who have a view on and a relationship with the airport.”

The Community Engagement Board replaces the Consultative Committee.  It has taken over the function of the Consultative Committee of holding Heathrow to account on day to day matters but will have the additional function of holding the airport to account as it consults on its detailed plans for a third runway.

Transport Select Committee backs 3rd Runway but with challenging conditions

The Transport Select Committee Report into the National Policy Statement (NPS) on Airports (essentially, the 3rd runway at Heathrow) has been published today (23rd March).  The report backs a third runway at Heathrow but has come up with some challenging conditions including tougher air pollution targets and a 7 hour night flight ban.  The Government will respond to the Committee in a few weeks time.  It doesn’t need to accept the conditions but the Committee warns that unless it does it could leave the NPS open to a legal challenge.  A Parliamentary vote is still expected in the summer.  If Parliament backs a 3rd runway, it becomes official Government policy.  Heathrow then has the task of drawing up and consulting on the detailed plans before presenting them to a planning inquiry.

Read the Report:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtrans/548/54803.htm   summary

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtrans/548/54804.htm  conclusions and recommendations

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmtrans/548/54802.htm  the full report

And a summary of key points HACAN has put together: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Transport-Select-Committee-NPS-Report-Key-Points-1.pdf

Respite Report Published

Heathrow published its long-awaited respite report commissioned from Anderson Acoustics on 16th February.  It is the first of its kind to be done.  HACAN was part of the steering group.  And later work carried out by Heathrow showed 54% people backed respite even it it increased the number of people overflown. Only 22% would back concentrating all the flight paths over particular areas. 

Summary video: https://youtu.be/7Z5mt7rKJgA .

Where to find the reports: https://www.heathrow.com/noise/making-heathrow-quieter/respite-research

Heathrow’s consultation on the principles it should use in designing its new flight paths, released later in the year, showed most people backed respite   54% wanted the priority to be respite even if that increased the total number overflown; 25% wanted the priority to be to prevent new areas being overflown (that included most respondents not currently overflown); any only 22% backed minimising the total number overflown by concentrating all the flights over certain areas.  (Some backed more than one option which is why the don’t add up to 100%).

You can reading about further findings here:   https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/95fcb6e4-d297-4678-9a08-3a819f0529d9

End of Cranford Agreement Postponed

The Government abolished the Cranford Agreement in 2009. But it will not come into effect until a final decision is taken on a third runway.  This was the 50 year old understanding that planes did not take off from the northern runway over Cranford, at the Hounslow end of the runway.  It meant that, when an east wind blows, all planes must land over Windsor on the northern runway so that they can take off from the southern runway.  This has denied Windsor the half day’s break from the noise which West London enjoys.

Heathrow needed to do work on its taxiways to allow planes to take off from the northern runway.  It got permission to this at a public inquiry but now wants to do further work on the taxiways so they fit in with any third runway.  It is therefore planning to roll this further work into its more general detailed work on a third runway.  If things go according to plan, it will not get planning permission for this until 2020/2021 after which the Cranford Agreement could become operational.

The levels when people get annoyed by noise

SONA, a study the Government commissioned from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Survey of Noise Attitudes 2014, SONA found that people start to get annoyed by aircraft noise at lower levels than previously officially recognised.  This is reflected now in Government policy which acknowledges that people can get annoyed by aircraft noise when it averages out over a 16 hour day at 54 or 51 decibels.  Previously government argued it was 57 decibels. Some people get annoyed at even lower levels. The World Health Organisation report, published in October 2018, argues for the lower levels:
https://hacan.org.uk/?p=4307

The chart above, taken from the study, compares the results of the Government sponsored 1982 ANIS Study with the new SONA study.  SONA found  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

Heathrow’s Review of 2016 Published

On November 30th Heathrow published is review of 2016.  It comes in the form of two reports – links in the full post below.  The post includes key points from the reports as well as HACAN’s reaction and response to them, including a welcome of new, more meaning noise annoyance metrics but HACAN questions whether the increase in the number of planes has been fully factored in.

https://www.heathrow.com/file_source/HeathrowNoise/Static/Flight_Performance_Annual_Report_2016.pdf

https://www.heathrow.com/file_source/HeathrowNoise/Static/Heathrow_NAP_Contours_2016_and_Summer_Contours_2016.pdf

Key points of interest from the first report include the fact that during the year there was a 70/30% west/east split in wind direction (generally, aircraft land take-off into the wind); and that planes adhered to runway alternation 90% of the time.

But it was the second report which Heathrow highlighted.  It said, ” Although 2016 had the highest passenger traffic, the Lden 55 dBA contour had its smallest area and the fewest number of people living within it over the 11-year study period (2006-2016)”.  In other words, the noise contours are shrinking because of the introduction of less noisy planes.

But, as HACAN pointed out in its response, “This doesn’t tell the whole story.  The way Heathrow measures the noise gives too much weight to the noise of individual aircraft which has fallen but not enough to the number of planes going overhead.  It is the sheer volume of planes that drives people to distraction these days.”

But HACAN added, “We do welcome the inclusion for the first time in the report a range of new metrics which actually paint a more accurate picture of the noise experienced by residents than its over-dramatic headline suggests.  Heathrow becomes one of the first airports in the world to use such a wide range of metrics.”

Heathrow has not just averaged out the noise over the day – the traditional way of measuring the noise – but has, additionally indicated the number of planes going over each community and how noisy they are which many believe is a more meaningful measurement.  Because planes have become quieter, this metric also shows a reduction in the numbers impacted.  Heathrow has also for the first time produced noise contours just for the days of the year when planes are flying over communities rather than just the annual average which can be misleading because it includes the days when there are no planes.

Heathrow does acknowledge that the noise climate between 2006 and 2016 has become a little worse in some areas, particularly those ‘south of Windsor’ due to the increase in planes, often large, heavy planes, serving long-haul destinations.

It is not clear that the report has fully factored in the increased concentration that some communities have experienced, both on landings and departures. 

Government publishes new Airspace Policy

There is much to be welcomed in this new policy. It contains some measures – such as the establishment of an independent noise authority and improved noise metrics – that HACAN has been campaigning for for many, many years. We also welcome the fact that noise rather than CO2 emissions should be given priority at heights of between 4,000 and 7,000ft and noise just below 4,000ft as at present. Read more here, including a link to the new policy: http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Airspace-Policy.pdf

Night Flights – No Change

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling announced on 13th July that the night flight regime at Heathrow would remain substantially unchanged for the next five years. That will take us up to 2022 by which time is should be clear whether or not a third runway has been given the go-ahead. If given permission for a new runway, Heathrow hope to open it in 2025/6. A new runway will usher in a new night flight regime, yet to be determined, on all the runways.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/update-on-the-airports-nps-and-a-decision-on-night-flights

HACAN Report on Night Flights

HACAN has commissioned an independent report which suggested that – in the event of a third runway being built – an eight hour night flight regime could become the norm. This study, carried out by AvGen Limited on behalf of HACAN, examines the practicality, if and when a third runway is built at Heathrow, of implementing a full or partial 8-hour night movement curfew from 23:00 to 07:00.  http://hacan.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/AvGen-study-v1.1.pdf