Tom Tugendhat MP: 'Motorway in the sky' above Gatwick causing stress and sleeplessness
3 min read
Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat writes ahead of his debate today on: 'the effect of aircraft noise on local communities' with special focus on Gatwick's flight path, which covers part of his constituency.
Gatwick has dominated my postbag since May 2015. The noise and disruption of aircraft has caused misery to many in West Kent and those affected, rightly, are determined to make their voices heard.
This isn’t about second runways or other major infrastructure developments. It is about flight paths approaching airports and the disruption to lives beneath.
In 2013, Gatwick decided to trial flight paths that instead of dispersing across a wide area were narrowed to fly directly over some of our most beautiful villages and tourist attractions, including Hever Castle and Penshurst Place. The result was a motorway in the sky, implemented with no consultation, which ruins the tranquility of one of the most beautiful parts of the country.
That is why I have been making a concerted effort to get this changed, and I have now secured a Westminster Hall debate to highlight this issue. Many campaigners have been working hard to bring peace back to our skies. I want to pay particular tribute to the Gatwick Obviously Not group who have long argued their case with clarity and passion.
Of course, aircraft noise doesn't just affect us in West Kent. In many other parts of the UK, aircraft disturb lives and cause stress & sleeplessness. I hope that by raising these concerns I can clarify legislation and guidelines surrounding noise.
The current law says airports should try to reduce the number of people “significantly affected” by aircraft noise. What is clear is that narrowing flight paths has increased those “significantly affected” in West Kent. Now we need clarity on exactly what this means and this is what I hope to get out of this week’s debate. Until we receive it, communities across the country will be at loggerheads over changing flight paths.
This issue is made worse by a gap in the law. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 excludes aircraft noise from other nuisance measures. This is an obvious flaw as it gives airports a green light to operate over homes without appropriate controls.
To its credit, Gatwick has commissioned an Arrivals Review which produced some excellent, achievable proposals. This Review is currently in an ‘engagement’ period. It must be followed through, and the Government, NATS and the CAA do all they can to clarify what the legislation should be.
I hope that Gatwick will become an example for all communities affected by aircraft noise, demonstrating best practice. I want to get the clarification so no community suffers as West Kent has. We all deserve better.
Tom Tugendhat is the Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling
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