Airport plans could cause 'unacceptable' noise

Residents of a Surrey village could suffer "an unacceptable amount of noise" after Heathrow Airport proposed a change to its flight patterns.

Stanwell Moor could see the number of landing planes increase from 36 to more than 300 a day, says the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The proposed change is so noise is distributed more evenly in areas surrounding the airport, a Heathrow Airport spokesperson said in a planning application to Spelthorne Borough Council.

Council leader Joanne Sexton said it was "quite a shock" to see the dramatic increase.

Most flights arrive and depart on Heathrow's west side due to a now-lapsed agreement preventing flights taking off and landing in the east.

The airport now wants to make changes to allow for more easterly take offs and landings by 2028, but will not be increasing flight numbers.

Responding to a consultation run by London's Hillingdon Borough, Spelthorne Borough Council objected over noise concerns around Stanwell Moor.

Applauding the council for objecting to the project, councillor Sue Doran said: "It doesn't matter which way [the planes] fly, the noise is terrible all the time."

Only councillor Paul Woodward approved Heathrow's proposal, arguing: "Landing is the quietest part of the operation until you put the airbrakes halfway down the runway."

A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: "We know that noise is an important issue for local communities which is why we have published clear reduction targets in our Noise Action Plan.

"Our noise footprint has reduced by 41 per cent since 2006 and we expect to see further reductions.

"Easterly alternation is aimed at delivering predictable noise respite to more communities and is coupled with our ongoing work to install noise insulation for our nearest neighbours."

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