Gatwick Anti Noise Group Annual Report

  GATWICK  ANTI - NOISE GROUP                                                  

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                                                                                                                                                Email : Davidbaron@aol.com

EXCESSIVE  AIRCRAFT  NOISE

HEVER, CHIDDINGSTONE & MARSH GREEN

2007  REPORT

For the past few years, parts of Hever, Chiddingstone and Marsh Green have suffered excessive aircraft noise and it is getting worse.

Aircraft taking off in this direction from Gatwick do not normally cause disturbance as they climb rapidly and disperse. It is the constant flow of incoming aircraft along the same narrow line from the east , landing into a westerly breeze , that cause the grossly excessive noise which frequently continues all day, without respite.

Incoming aircraft landing at Gatwick are supposed to adhere to a procedure known as Continuous Descent Approach (CDA). THEY DO NOT! CDA is intended to be a constant descent at a 3 degrees angle to the runway, passing over Lingfield at a height of at least 2,000 feet and Hever at 3,350 feet. Over 90% of arrivals do not conform to that CDA pattern. MOST are well under 3,000 feet passing over Hever. Data supplied by BAA proves that. Furthermore, it can be seen with the naked eye that most aircraft over Hever are barely higher than they are over Lingfield.

In the past (before the noise became excessive), most arriving aircraft joined the Instrument Landing System beam (ILS) at Newchapel, much closer to the airport and only a few passed over Hever.

The ILS was extended without  consultation in 1996 and now extends over Hever, Chiddingstone and beyond. This extension was carried out by stealth and may well be illegal as it is understood that in the case of any flightpath under 7,000 feet over an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, mandatory consultation is required. There was NO consultation and the Department for Transport has confirmed that in writing.

Due to ‘improved' instrumentation, the approach path has been deliberately narrowed on the basis that fewer people (those in the less populated rural areas) would be disturbed. The result of that inequitable and ill-considered decision is that the same people in Chiddingstone, Hever and Marsh Green now get the noise nearly ALL the time. The noise impact is far greater in these formerly tranquil areas as they lack the more general noisier environment in urban areas.

A noise meter was installed in Hever by BAA in October 2005. During 2007 over 60,000 audible flights were recorded; each and every one of them in excess of the stated onset of Community Annoyance of 57 decibels. That is the equivalent of a person shouting very loudly! Most are well in excess of that and many are above 70 decibels (which is VERY loud).

When the meter was first installed, BAA promised an ‘Interim Assessment' after 6 months and that remedial action would then be taken as appropriate. Over two years later, that assessment is still awaited and no remedial action has been apparent.

During 2007, very CONSIDERABLE correspondence took place with BAA, the Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority. Each blames the others for not taking any action to curb the nuisance. National Air Traffic Services are not prepared to enter into correspondence or attend meetings.

The Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Chairman-elect of the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM) visited Hever in April and agreed that the noise was excessive. GATCOM subsequently indicated that they would request that in future there would be a more equitable spread of arriving aircraft but so far there is no evidence of that being implemented.

In December, a meeting of the Noise & Track Monitoring Advisory Group (NATMAG), a sub-committee of GATCOM, took place followed by a meeting of the Aircraft Noise & Monitoring Advisory Committee (ANMAC), the latter not having met for two years. GANG asked that over 30 factual points should be presented to those committees. Several requests for copies of the minutes of those meetings have received no response.

As Kent does not abut the airport, there is no representation on GATCOM but there are indications that membership will shortly be extended to include the adversely affected areas. Senior Kent County Councillors visited Hever during November and appropriate action is awaited.

Efforts to reduce the excessive noise in the Chiddingstone, Hever and Marsh Green areas are fully supported by our MP, Sir John Stanley, Kent County Council, Sevenoaks District Council, Hever Parish Council and Hever Residents' Association. It is hoped that confirmation of support will shortly be forthcoming from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

National press coverage was given to the problem in the Daily Telegraph dated 17th April 2007 and articles appeared in the Kent & Sussex Courier on several occasions.

Although the management of Hever Castle does not wish to deter visitors by publicising the existence of aircraft noise directly overhead, their Conference trade suffers from the lack of repeat business and the lucrative filming of period dramas is no longer appropriate due to the noise of jet aircraft every few minutes. Performances at the Lakeside Theatre are now frequently ruined by the constant aircraft noise which was not so evident in the past.

In a recent letter, Mr. Flower, the Managing Director of Gatwick Airport confirmed that he is aware that there IS a noise problem in this area although he steadfastly avoids a visit in order to witness the situation for himself. A ‘Noise Action Plan 2008' is allegedly under consideration by BAA.

At present, there is no Ombudsman for the aviation industry. Under any other circumstances, the grossly excessive noise would have been curtailed by the issue of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) and the offending equipment confiscated. Unfortunately, ASBOs do not apply to aircraft noise.

The current situation is that we have the equivalent of a MOTORWAY IN THE SKY that has been created without any consultation with those so adversely affected. One can imagine the public outcry if even a dual carriageway was built without consent through the middle of our previously quiet villages and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty!

It is increasingly obvious that none of the aviation authoritative bodies are prepared to make any effort to resolve the problem and the advice now received is that the only way forward is to instigate legal proceedings. Such action is now imminent. Our Human Right to the quiet enjoyment of our homes is being infringed. Furthermore, it is not surprising that 3% of coronary deaths are caused by excessive noise.

There will always be some aircraft activity in the area as Gatwick is only 12 miles away. However, it should be kept to a reasonable level, not grossly excessive as at present. The problem is getting the aviation industry to abide by its own rules and revert back, at least in part, to the pre 1996 approach pattern.

TO COMPLAIN ABOUT EXCESSIVE AIRCRAFT NOISE -

TELEPHONE  -  0800 393 070 (freephone)

EMAIL  -  LGWnoise_line@BAA.com

N.B.  Hever Residents' Association recently distributed a Complaint Form to members.

PLEASE USE IT

If you have any comments or suggestions regarding the current grossly excessive aircraft noise, the Gatwick Anti-Noise Group will be very pleased to hear from you.