Putney resident's night flight plea

---

as he published his own response to DfT's latest proposals

In a letter to the council Peter Gent says:

"The Government is paying far too much attention to the clamour from the aviation industry for more flights and deliberately playing down the serious disturbance to the public."

He goes on to summarise his key concerns:

- The consultation paper fails to explain how the noise contours used by the Department for Transport (DfT) for different areas around Heathrow relate to the actual noise experienced by people on the ground.

- Independent monitoring by aircraft noise campaign group HACAN shows that most night flights over Putney produce noise well above 70dBA - starting at 4.40am and continuing very few minutes to 7am. The World Health Organisation's recommended maximum level is 60 dBA.

- The DfT averages noise throughout the whole night period - including the five hours when there are no scheduled flights. This helps them to arrive at the lower noise levels expressed in the contours.

- At Heathrow the number of people affected by night noise is 60 times greater than those at Gatwick or Stansted.

Campaigners are calling on the Department for Transport (DfT) to stop 'averaging' aircraft noise levels over the night period and start providing detailed information on actual noise experienced on the ground.  The plea comes as the DfT invites views on a new night flights regime which would run for six years from the end of October 2005.

Consultation is being conducted in two stages with the first part concluding by October 29 2004.

Wandsworth Council has already criticised the complex points tariff which 'measures' total noise according to the number of movements by each type of aircraft. It has also expressed fears that proposed adjustments to the tariff could pave the way for a substantial increase in the number of early morning arrivals at Heathrow.

The council's formal response to the consultation paper will be submitted to the DfT at the end of September.

Copies of the consultation paper are available by email from the DfT by calling 020 7944 5796 or
nightrestrictions@dft.gsi.gov.uk


September 16, 2004