PLANE CRAZY

20 February 2009

David Yuill
dyuill@southwarknews.org

Residents are up in arms over a proposal to reduce the height of flight paths over Dulwich into Heathrow's new third runway.

With thousands of flights a year set to jet along new flight paths, that could be up to 1,000 feet lower than the current routes into the world's busiest airport, community members are calling on Southwark to stand against the plans.

A council officer confirmed plans 'will undoubtedly have implications for the residents of Southwark', causing concern among Dulwich councillors, but could not be specific about possible damage.

The council, which joined forces with west London councils eighteen months ago to form the 2M group against the Heathrow expansion, is opposed to the proposals that the British Airports Authority insist are at an 'early stage'.

A BAA spokesman accepted the concerns put by the 'News' and said: "We are at an incredibly early stage of the process. The government has only just made its policy decision and the BAA is now required to put a full planning application in that will trigger a public inquiry.

"As part of the work, the National Air Traffic Services (NATS) will carry out a separate independent consultation and put it before the civil aviation authority.
That's where the work around flight paths and any changes will take place."
Opposition was strong against the government's controversial decision to give Heathrow's third runway and Terminal 6 the go-ahead in January 2009, but the fresh evidence is set to cause concern over air and noise pollution across the area.

The council’s executive member for environment and transport Jeff Hook told the 'News': "The council strongly opposes the third runway and expansion of Heathrow, on the grounds of the negative noise impact on our residents.

"The fact that there is an impact on the air quality and potential impact on public transport, it is clear the consultation did not take into account areas like Southwark."

Cllr Hook was confident that the government would take notice of the objections. He added: "I think that they will have to go away and think about it again. Councils across London and to the west are standing shoulder to shoulder against it and a re-think is needed."

Dulwich councillor Toby Eckersley told the 'News': "I have already received complaints from my Dulwich residents, who have cottoned on to the fact that the extra flights coming in at a lower altitude will badly affect them.

"I have asked for professional advice from the council's officers, whom I know are on the case. It is council policy to resist such environmental impacts and having joined the 2M group I expect them to stand firm in any way that they can."

The early information provided by officers, seen by the 'News', reads: "The proposal to build a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow will undoubtedly have implications for the residents of Southwark, although their exact nature at this early stage are uncertain.

"There will undoubtedly be an increase in the number of aircraft passing over Southwark, but there are a number of factors that will impinge on the effect of the proposal."

It continues to reveal that the council was powerless against the flight paths that were controlled by NATS, which was required to carry out an independent consultation over the proposed changes to flight paths.
But the officer added on the involvement with the 2M group: "The council has the opportunity to make its concerns known to government, not only in its own right, but collectively as part of a larger group."

Cllr Eckersley added: "Everybody needs to keep jumping up and down about it and hopefully we will get something done."

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