Under the flight path The borough suffers because it lies due east of the southern runway at Heathrow. From the borough boundary at Roehampton the airport is just nine miles away. Most aircraft still land into the prevailing westerly wind which means they make their descent over large parts of Clapham, Battersea, Wandsworth and Putney. During 2005 there have also been reports of disturbance to sleep from early morning arrivals over Tooting Bec and Furzedown. However most people in Tooting - and others living close to Wimbledon Common and Earlsfield - are more likely to experience noise from aircraft taking off. The council is a member of an all party group of local authorities in London and the South East opposed to any further expansion of Heathrow on environmental grounds. The council is also in favour of a complete ban on night flights.
Heathrow The airport has two main east-west runways. At any one time one is being used for departures and the other for arrivals. Operations are reversed at around 3pm each day. The pattern is also changed weekly so that the runway used for departures in the mornings one week is used for arrivals in the following week. This alternation provides considerable relief for residents living close to the airport. Wandsworth residents receive less benefit as aircraft still need to cross the borough when lining up to the northern runway. The system works well when the wind is from the west. Westerly operations mean that landing aircraft approach Heathrow from the east passing over central London. Departing aircraft go out over Windsor. When the wind is from the east landing aircraft approach from over Windsor. Departing aircraft always use the southern runway and depart to the east. Some of these go out directly over Tooting. The northern runway cannot be used for departures to the east. This is because of the long-standing 'Cranford Agreement' which seeks to protect houses close to the end of this runway. The Heathrow Consultative Committee Wandsworth is one of a number of local authorities represented on the Heathrow Consultative Committee (HACC). It also includes airport representatives and others from the travel industry and passenger groups. If you would like to learn more about what the committee does visit their website at www.lhr-acc.org.
Protection not expansion The council wants to see Heathrow thrive and prosper. Few local people may derive their employment from the airport but many of us enjoy the benefits of air travel and the relative accessibility of Heathrow. The issue for the council is how best to manage Heathrow's insatiable desire for growth - and how to ensure that residents living under the flight path are protected from the inevitable noise nuisance that goes with a busy airport. Terminal 5The council together with many others in London and the South East opposed the plan for a fifth terminal. After a long running inquiry the current Government pronounced in favour of the expansion in November 2001. The inquiry opened in May 1995 and included 525 days of hearings spread over 46 months. The additional terminal will handle as many passengers as Gatwick. The inquiry inspector admitted in his findings that on safety grounds expansion at Gatwick or Stansted would have been preferable. Work is now far advanced on the new terminal which is expected to be ready by 2008.
A third runway and loss of alternation The third runway will increase capacity by 222,000 flights a year by 2030. The council is a member of the 2M Group of local authorities which campaigns to protect the quality of life for communities around Heathrow. You can find details of the consultation document 'Adding Capacity at Heathrow' and the 2M response at www.2MGroup.org.uk The document itself can be viewed at www.dft.gov.uk/heathrowconsultation The consultation closed on February 27, 2008. The Government's decision is expected in the summer. The council has prepared a formal response of its own which has been considered by councillors and is available to download. To help residents understand where the new flightpaths for a third runway might go we have produced two maps. These are not definitive and should not be relied on. The top map shows indicative departure routes and the lower one shows arrivals. Hoping for a quiet half day? Find out the weekly schedules for Heathrow arrivals in 2008. Remember the current relief provided at around 3pm when aircraft switch runways will be lost if the Government goes ahead with its expansion plans.
The Thames Gateway option If demand is to be met on the scale envisaged there are better ways of doing this than by simply adding extra runways at existing airports where the noise and other environmental problems affect so many people. The 2003 Air Transport white paper rejected a proposal to build a second hub airport at Cliffe in North Kent. However a study commissioned by the council has shown that two other Thames Gateway airports - Thames Reach and Sheppey - could provide much greater economic benefits. You can find out more about the Thames Reach proposal here: www.bluebase.com/airport/ A new study by Sir Peter Hall also makes the case for a four-runway Thames Estuary airport which could ensure that no flights came in over built-up areas of London.
Night flights Unfortunately the Department for Transport has taken no action to ban the noisy 747-400s which it has conceded are 74 per cent higher than the prescribed limit. Wandsworth, Richmond and other councils in south west London are now seeking a judicial review of the Government's decision. The case will be heard in the High Court before Mr Justice Sullivan, starting on May 20, 2008. If the challenge succeeds, the airlines would be forced to reduce the number of aircraft currently allowed to fly into Heathrow between 4am-6am or at least substitute quieter aircraft. A positive ruling would make it very hard for ministers to propose future increases in the night time quota beyond 2012. It would also increase the pressure for controls in the 6am-7am period which is currently unrestricted. The current proposals for more capacity at Heathrow will create extra demand from the airlines for early morning arrivals. If the Court orders the Government to crack down on night noise this would provide a brake on expansion at this time of day. European Court challenge In October 2001 the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that night flights violated human rights and that the UK Government was wrong to have put economic arguments ahead of environmental concerns. Following the UK Government's appeal, this ruling was overturned. The decision was announced on July 8, 2003. The council helped to raise £100,000 from other local authorities to help meet the legal costs of the two hearings. You can see the latest judgment of Hatton and Others v UK Government by visiting the ECHR website at www.echr.coe.int Civil Aviation Bill Putney MP Justine Greening made a major speech in the House of Commons in June opposing this relaxation which she said was inconsistent with the stated objectives of the night flights consultation. The House of Lords voted to remove this section of the Bill on two occasions. The Government finally backed down in October 2006.
Growing concern The full membership comprises the London Boroughs of Brent, Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, Sutton, Southwark and Wandsworth, the boroughs of Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead and South Bucks District Council. For more information visit www.2MGroup.org.uk
What to do about aircraft noise During office hours you can normally speak to a member of BAAs Flight Evaluation Unit who will try to help you. This unit deals with a wide range of airport related issues from noise to flight numbers and flight paths. BAA regularly publishes maps showing where complaints come from - so it is worth reporting all local problems. You can complain about aircraft noise at noise_complaints@baa.com or call 0800 344 844 You may also want to contact the campaign group Heathrow Association for Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN). The council and HACAN worked together on the night flights case. You can reach them on 020 8876 0455 or visit their website at www.hacan.org.uk
Sign up to the campaign to stop Heathrow expansion at www.stopheathrowexpansion.com
Useful links
You can get live information on UK flight arrivals at www.baa.co.uk Monthly air traffic statistics are available at the BAA website under the investor relations section Heathrow Airport news - collected news stories about Heathrow Airport Environmental Services noise in Wandsworth at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/environmentalservices A full index of Government reports on aviation is available on the DFT website Wandsworth Council is working closely with HACAN to ensure as many people as possible in south and west London are aware of the implications of a third runway at Heathrow. |
