John Stewart of HACAN (Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) spoke at Hanwell Community Forum this week. He outlined the many and various changes that are likely to subject Ealing to more noise and air pollution from Heathrow.

– the interim report of the Airports Commission outlined 3 options for expanding airport capacity: two possible sites for a new runway at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. It is widely rumoured that Heathrow is the favoured option.  There will be a major campaign against Heathrow expansion over the coming 18 months.  The Airports Commission submits its final report in summer 2015 but the final decision about expansion will remain with the Government of the day.   

– a government consultation on night flights wanting to continue the current regime whereby flights can take off till 11.30pm and beyond. The hints at improvement given early last year have not materialised despite increasing evidence linking aircraft noise to coronary heart disease and other illness.

The deadline for responses is 31 January:

www.gov.uk/government/consultations/night-flights

– a proposal by Heathrow to remove westerly preference. Planes usually land into the wind. As the prevailing wind is westerly, this means Heathrow planes land over Hounslow and take-off over Windsor. The westerly preference rule means that this pattern is preserved for easterly winds with a speed of up to 5 knots so only strong easterly winds result in Ealing being overflown. If Heathrow’s proposal is accepted, the number of days on which Ealing is overflown will increase.

– Heathrow also intends to test out whether easterly preference should be exercised for night flights.This would mean that planes fly over Ealing when there is an easterly wind (as now) and when there is a light westerly wind.

As above, this would increase the number of nights that planes fly over Ealing.

If you have concerns about any or all of these changes:

– write to your councillors (Ealing Council has not been active in lobbying against Heathrow expansion), your MP and Heathrow (email: noise_complaints@heathrow.com)

– join HACAN which represents overflown communities: www.hacan.org.uk/

Heathrow expansion

 

As you have probably heard on the news, Heathrow expansion is on the cards again. The Airports Commission (also known as the Davies Commission) was tasked with exploring whether and where airport capacity in South East England should be expanded. Its interim report published in December concluded that an extra runway was required (a conclusion disputed by environmental groups) and shortlisted 3 options:

·         building a new runway on the north western edge of the Heathrow site

·         extending the existing northern runway at Heathrow

·         building a new runway at Gatwick

HACAN (Heathrow Assoc for the Control of Aircraft Noise) have published an outline of the Commission’s interim findings: http://www.hacan.org.uk/resources/briefings/davies.interim.report.press.release.pdf

 

There has been intense speculation that, despite being labelled independent, Ministers have held sway in determining the Commision’s interim findings. Zac Goldsmith gave several interviews along these lines.  http://www.zacgoldsmith.com/heathrow_expansion.asp   The Aviation Environment Federation also gives a critical insight into the genesis of the report and rejects the assumption that a new runway is needed: http://www.aef.org.uk/?p=1674

 

You can sign the online petition against Heathrow expansion here http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-third-runway

You can support HACAN in the campaign against further expansion at www.hacan.org.uk

Night flights consultation

 

The rules governing flights at night for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are up for review.

 

For Heathrow, community and environmental groups have been pushing for a ban on night flights between 11pm – 7am. However, the government is recommending that there should be no change to the current rules until 2017 when the final recommendations of the Airport Commission are known. Keeping the current rules would mean that West Ealing will continue to be overflown until 11.30pm and beyond.

 

The government does not want improvements to the night flights regime despite there being an increasing body of evidence pointing to the ill effects of aircraft noise on health. Indeed, the government is also requesting views on increasing night flights if planes become quieter.

 

For more detail on the consultation and the concerns of overflown communities see HACAN’s briefing:

http://www.hacan.org.uk/resources/briefings/night.flights.consultation.briefing.nov2013.pdf

 

The consultation document is published at  https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/night-flights. You can respond online at this address or by:

·         emailing: night.noise@dft.gsi.gov.uk

·         writing to: Department for Transport, Great Minster House (1/26), 33 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 4DR

The deadline for responses is 31 January 2014.

I’m reliably informed that the recently closed Grosvenor pub will re-open as a gastro pub. If true, and I hope it is, this will be one heck of a transformation. I thought it would end up as housing but this sounds a very bold move on behalf of the new owners. The Grosvenor is some way off the high street in a residential area and has a lot of potential customers within a short walking distance – including me. I wish the new owners well and really hope they will succeed and transform what had become a run-down pub in to a thriving business that becomes a cherished part of our local community.

Updated Friday 20th December

The two-storey art deco style building above Morrisons on the corner of the Uxbridge Road and St James Ave looks likely to become an integrated drug and alcohol recovery centre if planning permission goes through. A while back when I was with OPEN Ealing we negotiated a deal to take the lease on this property to make it OPEN’s permanent home. It’s a bit of a long story but the money never came through to complete the deal and this building has remained empty for a couple of years.

The service is currently sited in Leeland Road in West Ealing and the charity CRI has put in a change of use planning application to take on the 8,500 sq ft St James Annex .  Their website describes CRI as follows:

‘CRI is a social care and health charity working with individuals, families and communities across England and Wales that are affected by drugs, alcohol, crime, homelessness, domestic abuse and antisocial behaviour.

Our projects, delivered in communities and prisons, encourage and empower people to regain control of their lives and motivate them to tackle their problems.’

The centre is planned to be open from 8am – 8pm weekdays and 10am – 6pm on Saturdays.

The application can be found here by typing PP/2013/4403 in to the reference number box at the top of the form.  The closing date for comments is 3rd January. It’s a little odd that the list of consultees does not include anyone living in St James Avenue which is barely 50 metres away.