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Heathrow expansion: Airport ups the stakes as new noise monitors installed to counter noise pollution

Heathrow Airport has announced it has begun installing a network of noise monitors in local areas surrounding the South East airport as part of its noise reduction blueprint which aims to convince the government to green light expansion plans at the transport hub.

The airport announced this morning that 50 new noise monitors are to be installed, along with upgrades to its current monitoring network, in response to criticism from local groups that an additional runway at Heathrow will increase noise pollution in towns and villages on flight paths.

In Heathrow’s Blueprint for Noise Reduction, the UK’s busiest airport has outlined plans to model and monitor noise from planes taking off and landing, and vowed to publicly share data on the Heathrow noise pollution website and the Heathrow Community Noise Forum.

It also has plans to provide real-time noise measurements to local residents in future, as it seeks greater clarity on the issue which has blighted its expansion campaign.

John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s Chief Executive said the airport shares ‘a common objective’ with local residents and vowed to make skies around Heathrow quieter.

“The arrival of new, quieter aircraft and the start of our programme to install 50 new noise monitors will help us to accelerate the reduction in the noise impacts of Heathrow,” he added.

According to Heathrow, incentives for quieter airplanes, coupled with a 5.5% increase in the proportion of quieter aircraft utilising the airport have all contributed to even quieter noise levels on flight paths, which it claims are at their lowest levels since the 1970s despite a doubling of traffic.

Holland-Kaye added: “Our new plan for a third runway means that we will reduce the number of people affected by noise even with expansion, while increasing the social and economic benefits that Heathrow provides.”

Today’s blueprint is yet another step in the never-ending battle for the future of the UK’s air traffic capacity.

Both Heathrow and south east rival Gatwick have argued for a new runway, in a protracted battle that has saw various promises made by both airports about the level of investment and economic benefits of additional runways at their respective airports.

Despite the Airports Commission’s recommending a third runway at Heathrow last year, the impetus has been increasingly with its rival after rumours that new Prime Minister Theresa May is sceptical about the benefits of additional capacity at the transport hub.