This week, I have written to Heathrow Airport to nail down local assurances that residents will be protected from increased levels of noise, traffic and air pollution from two proposed changes to how planes fly over our constituency. These are some of the most common and serious issues residents raise with me, and it is vital that local concerns are addressed if constituents are to have confidence that Heathrow can expand in a sustainable way.
First, Heathrow are proposing to introduce a practice known as ‘independent parallel approach’, or IPA. Put simply, this would allow for increased capacity at Heathrow, facilitating up to 25,000 more flights a year with flights starting early in the morning.
Second, Heathrow propose to change how they manage the direction in which flights land and depart. Under the current system of ‘Westerly Preference’, Elmbridge residents are exposed to higher levels of noise from departing aircraft during the day and night on Easterly operations (which only take place around 30% of the time). Heathrow propose moving from Westerly Preference to Managed Preference, which is likely to mean more flights operating on Easterly operations, and so the risk of increased noise for residents.
In my letter, I call on Heathrow to provide three reassurances and safeguards under its plans so that:
- Residents currently overflown by flights to or from Heathrow will not experience any material increase in noise or the deterioration of their air quality as a result of the introduction of IPA or the move to managed preference;
- Legally prescribed limits on noise and air quality (planned in the context of the development of the third runway) are incorporated into any plan for introducing IPA, including independent monitoring and enforcement; and
- There will be no material increases in traffic congestion without a commensurate increase in infrastructure to deal with it.
These common-sense safeguards would reassure our residents, and give people greater confidence in Heathrow’s ability to expand in a sustainable manner in the future. You can read my letter in full below.
Separately, I have responded to Heathrow’s latest consultation on their plans for expansion. Heathrow propose creating binding limits for noise, air quality and traffic to manage the local impact of a third runway. This is a welcome step which I have long pushed for, but local residents will want the peace of mind of knowing that their local authority has a direct role in monitoring and enforcing Heathrow’s environmental limits. I argue local councils should be represented on the enforcement body.
You can read my full submission below.
