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The Independent Student Newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London
November 2014
Volume 9, Issue 3
Englefield Green Residents Voice Concerns about Air Traffic Noise
BY FLORENTYNA DALLOZ NEWS EDITOR
Englefield Green residents dissatisfied with recent increase in air traffic noise have had the opportunity to air their concerns. A meeting was held at the Jurgens Centre on 24th October and was attended by various representatives. Residents' campaign leader Jane Snell told attendees that the meeting was to “understand what’s going on with the flight trials,” as a popular complaint amongst locals was that they were being “kept in the dark.” Snell shared the platform with local MP and Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond, plus three representatives from Heathrow Airport and the National Air Traffic Services. A speaker from Heathrow airport claimed to understand the residents’ “distress, frustration and anger” by the sudden increase of noise. The increase in air traffic was not caused by trials of potential flight paths as rumoured. Heathrow had been ordered by the Government to “modernise the airspace” so they were trying new techniques to improve the efficiency of airports; not to redesign the airspace and relocate flight paths which would have to be subject to full public consultation. Englefield Green residents asked why the trials had to take place over their heads. They argued that having paid substantial sums to live in Englefield Green they should not be expected to “share” the noise and disturbance with the neighbouring towns that normally got it. Phillip Hammond took the opportunity to question the speakers and summarise what had been said. He acknowledged the residents’ outrage because they had thought that it was flight paths that were being tested. He demanded that in future trials there must be some respite from extreme levels of noise and suggested the “Sydney Model” would suffice. Hammond then asked for confirmation that it was not paths that were being tried but technology, different angles and aircraft instead. (The Founder understands that “The Sydney Model” is a
Photos kindly provided by Carol Ann Kinley-Smith.
means of sharing the noise burden of aircraft over residential areas as equitably as possible.) Residents asked about the length of the trial, the lack of noise-monitoring equipment, and poor communication. The Heathrow representatives insisted that all local councils were informed of the trials, a meeting was held to discuss plans and there was a warning on their website so their plans should have been known. It transpired that Runnymede Councillor Roberts had not attended this meeting. He apologised for his absence. Residents were concerned for their safety and questioned the likelihood of a plane crashing into the local area if an engine were
to fail. They were reassured that safety was the number one priority of Heathrow Airport and that the trials did not impact the safety of locals. There was popular support for one resident who suggested that all flights be turned away from the area and redirected towards motorways. One resident asked Phillip Hammond, “What is the Tory party policy going to be in relation to these issues?” Hammond stated that Conservative Party policy on the matter had yet to be decided. As he left, Jane Snell thanked him and handed him a petition of 2,000 signatures opposing the flight trails.
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