New report to be launched by Darren Johnson, Mayor’s Environment Adviser
Darren Johnson, the Mayor’s Advisor on the Environment and Leader of the Green Group on the London Assembly, is set to launch a new report which highlights the way many of London’s most famous parks have become blighted by aircraft noise (1). The illustrated report, published by HACAN ClearSkies, which represents residents living under the flight path to Heathrow, will be launched at 11am on Monday 2nd October on Clapham Common (2).
John Stewart, the Chair of HACAN ClearSkies, said, “Since aircraft started making use of the extended flight paths in recent years, many of London’s best-known parks have become ruined by aircraft noise. From Hounslow Heath in the west to Greenwich in the east, aircraft noise has become a problem. London’s parks used to be oases of peace and quiet amongst the hustle and bustle of life in the Capital. Now many of them have become a plane spotter’s paradise.”
Darren Johnson said, “For far too long the social and environmental costs of increases in air traffic have been ignored. Aircraft noise is a nightmare for many Londoners, not only disturbing people’s sleep patterns in their own homes, but threatening the tranquillity of our open spaces, too. The Mayor must produce an Ambient Noise Strategy which finally gives us a real opportunity to start tackling this problem and I very much welcome HACAN’s report.”
Notes for Editors
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London’s Blighted Parks highlights what is happening to 10 of London’s best-known green spaces. There are. of course. many other areas affected by aircraft noise. HACAN ClearSkies used a normal camera to take the pictures, so as to avoid any accusation that planes were superimposed on the photographs. As a result some of the planes appear to be flying high enough not to be disturbing. That, of course, is not the case.
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The launch will take place on Clapham Common just after 11am. People will gather outside Clapham Common Underground Station at 11am and then make their way to the Common, just a few minutes walk away.
Many of London’s green spaces are being ruined by aircraft noise. Our report features ten of the most famous — Greenwich Park, Blackheath, Hilly Fields, Dulwich Park, Clapham Common, Battersea Park, Richmond Green, Kew Gardens, Osterley Park and Hounslow Heath.