Category: Latest news

Survey: Many buyers withdraw offer on house if know aircraft noise is a problem

A new survey just released has found that 41% of buyers would withdraw an offer on a property or lose interest in it once they realised it was impacted by aircraft noise.  Another 34% would make a lower offer.

Top of the list is noisy neighbours.  70% would withdraw an offer on a property or lose interest in it once they realised it was impacted by aircraft noise.  Another 17% would make a lower offer.

The full survey results can be found at: http://www.sellingup.com/property-buying-dealbreakers-survey

 

“Clear Commitment” by Heathrow Airport to “significantly” reduce night flights if 3rd runway goes ahead

Press Release

 5/11/15 for immediate use

 “Clear Commitment” by Heathrow Airport to “significantly” reduce night flights if 3rd runway goes ahead

Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye made a commitment to significantly reduce night flights if permission was given for a third runway.

Cross-examined yesterday by the House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee (1), Mr Holland-Kaye gave the clearest signal yet that a new runway would lead to a reduction in flights before 6am.  But he appeared to rule out a total ban.

He told the committee: “There are huge benefits to local communities for getting rid of the early morning scheduled arrivals between 4.30 and 6am”.

“Equally there is a big cost to that for the UK economy because those are very valuable trading routes to the Far East, Singapore and Hong Kong. It’s not easy to resolve that”.

“We are working on it. I’m confident that we will be able to find a way through that and that there’s a real opportunity to significantly reduce night flying at Heathrow with expansion.”

The Airports Commission, which the previous Government set up in 2012, to look at the need for more runways, recommended in its report published in July of this year that a legally-binding ban on night flights should be a condition of a third runway being given the go-ahead.

John Stewart, chair of the campaign group HACAN which opposes Heathrow expansion, “For the first time I can remember a Heathrow CEO has talked about the possibility of a real reduction in night flights”.

“However, we believe they are so disturbing to so many people that a complete ban on planes before 6am should be introduced whether or not a third runway is built.”

The Government is expected to take a decision about whether or not to give the green light to a third runway at Heathrow before Christmas.

Before the start of the Committee hearings campaigners staged a demonstration outside the building to highlight the air pollution problems around Heathrow

ENDS

 Notes for Editors:

 (1). The Environmental Audit Committee is conducting an investigation into whether the conditions the Airport Commission recommended should be met if a third runway goes ahead are feasible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New survey: London businesses rate airport expansion the least important measure to assist the capital’s economy

Press Release

 29/10/15 for immediate use

 Londoners rate new airport capacity as he least important measure required to ensure London remains competitive with other global cities, according to a survey released today by the London Chamber of Commerce (1).  The survey, undertaken by ComRes for London Tomorrow, a group set up in part by the London Chamber of Commerce & Industry, found affordable housing topped most people’s list.

Com Res surveyed businesses, councillors and the public.  Only 3% of the public put new airport capacity at the top of their list and just 2% of businesses and 1% of councillors did so.

John Stewart, the chair of HACAN, which campaigns against a third runway at Heathrow, said, “These figures are very revealing.  Across the board Londoners do not think airport matters to the future of the capital.  The figures suggest that the polls which Heathrow Airport has carried out  in a limited number of areas close to the airport significantly overstate the support there is for a third runway amongst Londoners as a whole.

ENDS

 Notes for Editors:

 (1). The full poll can be found at http://www.comres.co.uk/polls/lcci-london-tomorrow-survey-q3-2015/

For further information:

John Stewart on 0207 737 6641; 07957385650

 

 

 

HACAN meets DfT over flight paths

HACAN joined other campaign groups on Monday 19th October to meet with senior officials at the Department for Transport to discuss flight path issues.

Outside DfT

It was a constructive meeting covering a range of topics including concentration of flight paths and respite.  The groups will be meeting Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill in a few weeks to discuss the issues.

 

Independent research pinpoints reasons for increased noise in Teddington/Twickenham area

Following complaints from local residents, Heathrow Airport, in collaboration with the residents who sit on the Community Noise Forum commissioned independent research to assess if anything had changed in a number of areas including the Teddington/Twickenham area.  

The research found that the trials which had taken place recently but which have now stopped are not the cause of the complaints about increased noise.  It believed that things had gone back to their pre-trial pattern on the Teddington/Twickenham route: “aircraft have reverted to using the departure routes used before the airspace trials last year and that no new areas are being overflown.”

But, significantly, it found that that pattern had been changing over a period of years.  Three things had contributed to the change:

  • there has been an increase in the number of planes using this route to take off:  up to 30 aircraft more per day compared to 2011, an average increase of around 2 flights per hour.
  • The number of large ‘heavy’ aircraft has increased on the route.  For example, A380s are up from 4 per day in 2011 to between 11 and 14 per day in 2015.
  • The lowest aircraft are getting lower by around 200-300 feet (i.e. around 10% lower than in 2011).
  • Aircraft have been increasingly concentrated down the centre-line of the route.  Some years ago HACAN warned about the impact of this sort of concentration.

 

Full details of the report can be found at:  http://www.heathrow.com/noise/making-heathrow-quieter/our-noise-strategy/working-with-local-communities/community-noise-forum/teddington-and-twickenham-flight-analysis#

Further research looking at what changes have been made to this and other routes and will be available later this year or early next year.

 

 

Campaigners mark 6th anniversary of PM’s promise not to build a 3rd runway

Press Release

19/10/15 for immediate use

 Heathrow campaigners park plane outside Downing St to mark 6th anniversary of Prime Ministers ‘No ifs, no buts, no 3rd runway’ speech

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To mark the 6th anniversary of David Cameron’s speech where he promised ‘No ifs; no buts; there will be no third runway’ Heathrow campaigners parked a plane outside Downing Street this morning .

On 19th October 2006 David Cameron, then leader of the opposition, made his now famous promise in a speech at a rally in Christ School in Richmond (2).  When the Coalition Government came to power in 2010 it ruled out any new runways for the duration of that Parliament.  But in 2012 it set up the Airports Commission, under Sir Howard Davies, to look at the case for new runways.

In July of this year the Commission recommended a third runway at Heathrow.  The Prime Minister is expected to announce before the end of the year whether he accepts that decision.

Margaret Thorburn, spokesperson for the campaigners said, “Today’s colourful stunt is a visible reminder to David Cameron of the promise he made on this day six years ago.  If he breaks it, he will not be forgiven by tens of thousands of people in and around London and countless environmentalists across the country.”

ENDS

 Notes for Editors:

 (2). Report of the original speech

http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/4694685.David_Cameron___No_third_runway___no_ifs__no_buts_/

 

 

3rd Runway Protests at Conservative Party Conference

Local residents teamed up with the direct action network Plane Stupid to stage colourful protest actions at the Conservative Party Conference:

A plane was parked outside the conference:

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Loud aircraft noise was played at 4.30am outside the hotel where most of the government ministers were staying to coincide with the first night flight arriving at Heathrow:

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Five Mayoral candidates to address ‘biggest ever’ rally against Heathrow Third Runway

Press Release

7/10/15 for immediate use

 Five Mayoral candidates to address ‘biggest ever’ rally against Heathrow Third Runway

10th October. Parliament Square. 10.30am. Speakers start 11am.  Finish by 12.30pm

All the candidates to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London from the main political parties will speak at a mass rally against a third runway at Heathrow to be held on 10th October in Parliament Square, opposite the Houses of Parliament.  They will be joined by speakers from the local community and from leading environmental organizations.   The rally, which organizers believe will be the ‘biggest ever’ against Heathrow expansion, will take place just weeks before David Cameron is expected to make an announcement on a new runway for London and the South East.    At present the Cabinet is looking at the recommendation of the Airports Commission that the runway should be built at Heathrow.  However, over recent months, the owners of Gatwick have continued to make the case for a second runway at their airport.

John Stewart, chair of HACAN, the campaign group which is one of the main organizers of the rally, said, “Thousands are expected to send a clear message to the Prime Minister that they will fight any decision to give the green light to a new runway at Heathrow.  And the message from all the key Mayoral candidates is equally clear.  They stand united on this issue.  They are all firmly against a third runway.”

Notes for Editors:

 The full list of confirmed speakers is (running order yet to be finalised):

John Stewart, Chair HACAN (to welcome and introduce)

John McDonnell Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington

Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond and North Kingston (and Conservative Mayoral candidate)

Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting (and Labour Mayoral candidate)

Sian Berry, Green Party Mayoral Candidate

Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat Mayoral Candidate

Peter Whittle, UKIP Mayoral candidate

John Sauven, Chief Executive of Greenpeace

Gina Parihar, Head of Legal at Friends of the Earth

Tania Mathias, Conservative MP for Twickenham

A long-standing resident from the Heathrow villages who will lose her home

Gyles Brandreth will act as master of ceremonies

ENDS

 For further information:

John Stewart on 0207 737 6641 or 07957385650