Success claimed in night flights battle

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Limit on planes to remain in place until 2012

Transport secretary Douglas Alexander has confirmed that the Government had dropped its controversial proposal to allow two additional early morning flights before 6am.

Night time movement limits at Heathrow will now remain unchanged for the period 2006-2012.

The climbdown follows legal action last year by Wandsworth, Richmond and Windsor and Maidenhead councils.

Lawyers acting for the local authorities had argued that the proposal to increase flight numbers contravened government policy to reduce noise and would weaken the protection for areas around Heathrow that are affected by noise from early morning arrivals.

The local authorities had also called for a ban on the Boeing 747-400s which Wandsworth experts had proved to have been given an incorrect noise rating. This meant they were placed in the permitted QC2 category instead of QC4. The Government already bans aircraft in this higher category from flying at night.

Wandsworth Council leader Edward Lister said, "The Government is a stubborn supporter of the rights of airlines to bring in their planes in at a time when people have a right to be enjoying their sleep

"But even ministers have to listen to the courts. That is why the three councils launched their legal action to stop the disruption getting any worse. We have campaigned for years for a ban on all night flights. Last year as part of our combined challenge to the latest proposals we called on ministers to demonstrate their commitment to improving the noise environment by banning the noisier 747-400s.

"Sadly these planes will still be allowed to fly. But at least we have stopped things from getting any worse. Ministers had wanted to allow an extra two flights a night but they have backed off in the face of the legal issues raised by our challenge."

The Bill's proposals to abandon movements limits for night flights from 2012 have already been rejected once by the House of Lords. A further vote is now scheduled for June 28.


June 9, 2006