Around 1.6million people will be exposed to ‘near constant noise’ if Heathrow Airport’s expansion goes ahead, an investigative report has revealed.
Here we look at how those people will be affected.
A Greenpeace report found that there could be up to 47 flights passing over London hourly if the third runway is given the green light. It comes after researchers examined various documents earlier this year which showed the possible flight paths Heathrow officials are considering. The flight paths were overlaid with population statistics and it was discovered that more than 11million people lived in areas are set to be exposed to noise above 65 decibels (dB). However, that figure is likely to be reduced when the final paths are agreed. Around 1.6million people living in the areas closest to Heathrow Airport are expected to have noise levels exceeding 65dB. According to 2016 research, there are currently around 492,000 people suffering from 65dB noise or above due to the airport.
When is noise harmful?
Noise pollution is considered to be any noise that is excessive, annoying, irritating and harmful. And a harmful level of noise is anything 85dB and above. Putting that into perspective, an everyday conversation is about 50dB while your daily alarm clock ringing reaches 60dB. So 85dB is not as loud as you think.
Airport expansion plans
This month, a consultation at Heathrow is due to get underway discussing the layout of the airport. A proposed third runway, which could open in 2026, would increase the number of departure and arrivals from 480,000 annually to around 740,000. A spokesman for Heathrow said the airport is proposing options that would reduce the impacts of noise. “Our plans are designed to ensure that fewer people will be affected by noise than were affected in 213, thanks to quieter planes, quieter airport design, quieter operations and a 6.5-hour ban on scheduled night flights,” he added.
What Greenpeace say
John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: “When an industrial development is opposed by local residents, they are often dismissed as NIMBYs. But Heathrow’s backyard is bigger than the average city and needs to be listened to, ideally while it can still be heard over the scream of jet engines. “This project is not in the interests of people living in the west of London. It is not in the interests of the UK economy. And it most certainly is not in the interests of the global climate. “The government has all the public support they could possibly want for radical climate action. Cancelling Heathrow is the easiest measure available. It will cut millions of people all at the stroke of a pen.”
How Echo Barrier can help
There’s been a wealth of research around the detrimental impact noise can have on our health with issues such as hearing loss, amnesia, stress and heart disease, to name but a few. Echo Barrier provide ways to help manage noise pollution in several industries and as noise experts, we have seen first-hand evidence of the damage that exposure to excessive noise can have on people’s quality of life.
We have developed our market-leading acoustic barriers to help reduce noise and protect the health of the local community. They typically reduce noise by 90-97%, and are lightweight, weatherproof and adaptable to any setting. So, whether you are looking for temporary or permanent noise solutions, we will have a product to suit your needs.