Anti Airport Lobby

[Aviador]

Will Government ban airport night flights?

Hundreds of people fed up with noisy night flights are waiting to see if the Government will impose restrictions at East Midlands Airport.

The petitioners want restrictions already in place on night flights at Stansted, Gatwick, and Heathrow airports – which ban planes landing or taking off at night – to be imposed at the region's airport too.
The Demand group, led by Steve Charlish, of Kings Norton, near Market Harborough, launched an online petition on the 10 Downing Street website which has been signed by more than 600 people.
It has got to be considered by the Department of Transport.

Mr Charlish said: "I think it shows there are a lot of people fed up the disturbance of ever-increasing night flights at East Midlands Airport.

"We have to wait and see what the Government says in its response. It may try to ignore us all together, but we will not let this drop.

"It is vital the airport is told enough is enough and lets us get some peace and quiet at night."
Leicestershire County Council is backing the call to restrict night noise from aircraft.

County councillor Kevin Feltham, who has signed the petition, said: "Despite the importance of the campaign to the people of Leicestershire, the Government has not shown very much interest in supporting us so far. Whatever they say, we will continue the fight.

"It seems strange to designate a number of the country's main airports, but do nothing about the situation here."

In 2008, there were 21,500 flights over East Midlands Airport between 11pm and 7am – an average of 58 each night.

Campaigners argue that the night flights disturb the sleep and damage the health of people living under the flight paths.

An airport spokeswoman said: "We have noted the number of people who have signed the petition.
"We will respond fully to the petition when we know what the Government has to say about it," said the spokesman.

The Department of Transport will put together a response and decide whether any further action is needed.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister's office said: "Now the petition has expired, it has been forwarded to the Department of Transport for consideration.

"How long that takes will depend on the complexity of the issue, but it will be dealt with at the earliest possible opportunity."

Source

 

[Aviador]

Well these guys are in full force at the moment. They obviously have little else to do with their time. I wonder if the 600 or so people who have apparently signed the Downing Street petition are actually all local or simply people who have been drafted in from across the country by the green brigade.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The report says there were 21,500 flights 'over' East Midlands Airport between 11pm and 7am in 2008.

What does that mean? 21,500 landings/take-offs? If so, why not say so? If not, where were the aircraft going?

When I was a kid (in the 50s) I lived on a steep hill on the A38 in the Somerset countryside a mile or two south of the current Bristol Airport.

The A 38 then was the main artery (the only artery) for traffic from the Midlands/North to the South West. All night long lorries would drone up the hill past our cottage. We got used to it and it never upset our sleep after that.

I can't think that aircraft overhead would be any louder - unless you lived very near the end of the runway.

If none of these people have ever flown at night I might have the tiniest bit of sympathy....................but not much.

Re your comment, Aviador, I would say with little fear of contradiction that not all are locals and that some are from the Green Army nationwide who make such protests a fulltime hobby.

 

[Pat]

HAVING LIVED AT RAF SCAMPTON WORKING 24 HR SHIFTS WHEN THE VULCANS WERE TAKING OFF ALL TIMES OF DAY AND NIGHT I NEVER FOUND ANY PROBLEMS WITH AIRCRAFT NOISE - I EXPECT THESE MOANING MINNIES ARE ESSO PEOPLE (EVERY SATURDAY SUNDAY OFF) WORKING 9 TO 5 AND WHEN THEY FLY THEY FLY DURING THE DAY NOT GIVING A HOOT ABOUT THE SHIFT WORKERS SLEEPING OFF NIGHTS

 

[Aviador]

Valid point RIP

I regularly work night shifts, infact I'm working nights this evening and I never have any problem sleeping through the day except during really warm and humid spells. That's living right underneath the flight path less than a mile from runway 32 at Leeds. Now I know that EMA is much busier through the night than LBA but they probably don't have the noise of lawn mowers and buses to contend with either. Like LocalYokel says, these people must make such protests a fulltime hobby as they have NBTD (Nothing Better To Do)

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Complaints after military planes diverted to East Midlands Airport

Military aircraft have been diverted to East Midlands Airport during the recent snow and ice problems. This has resulted in noise complaints from local residents.

A spokesperson for the airport said that the military had to divert some of their aircraft (VC10's and DC10's) to East Midlands from snowbound military airfields. The airport has subsequently received noise complaints regarding these flights. She said that the aircraft may continue to be diverted to East Midlands Airport over the next few days due to the current adverse weather conditions.

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[TheLocalYokel]

Some people will complain about anything.

There were complaints from some UK local residents in World War 2 about the noise caused by RAF aircraft on training flights in their areas.

 

[Aviador]

Exactly TheLocalYokel!

Where exactly did these people expect the aircraft to go? At one stage nearly every UK airport was closed to diversion traffic because of the snow. It's almost as if these people sit looking out of the window looking out for aircraft to complain about.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Council want East Midlands Airport noise cap

Noise levels from East Midlands Airport should be capped at current levels, the Burton Mail reports members of South Derbyshire District Council have said, They report that the airport expects air traffic to grow in the next four years, meaning that noise levels could reach 57 decibels by 2016, a level that was reached in 1996 and was described by the authority as ‘unacceptable’.

Planning officer Richard Groves said in a report to the authority: ‘Noise levels during 1996 were unacceptably high and the council considers that, rather than being allowed to grow back to its previous maximum level, the noise footprint should be limited to its current actual size. Noise levels at night should be pegged to 40 decibels. The noise envelope at East Midlands Airport should not be allowed to grow any more.’

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