Specific noise comments on HAL’s proposal:
• Of the three main scenarios tested in the noise assessment, the
•
• • •
‘minimise total impacts’ and ‘minimise new impacts’ options show that parts of H&F are inside the 54dB day-time noise contour, including new areas not currently impacted. Although the ‘respite’ option shows no part of H&F in the daytime or night-time contours, there could still be flight paths over the borough – in fact, more than in the present day. We may be outside the contours but there could be significantly more flights over the borough. Impacts will therefore continue. Even in Heathrow’s ‘highly mitigated’ scenarios, the noise impacts are still considered to be unacceptable. Expansion will reduce the amount of respite from noise that some communities (e.g. those under approach paths for the southern runway) benefit from as there will be increased use of mixed mode Health impacts of expansion are significant as assessed by the monetisation assessment which shows that annoyance, heart attacks, hypertension, sleep disturbance are calculated to cost £25 billion to mitigate. It is unclear if these impacts and their associated costs are considered to be acceptable, how the costs and impacts would be mitigated or who would do this.
Specific noise comments on HH’s proposal:
• Of the two main scenarios tested in the noise assessment, the standard expansion scenario and the respite scenario both show that parts H&F are inside the 54dB contour for day and night-time noise, including new areas not currently impacted (in some scenarios). • The noise impacts for this option are, if anything, worse than for the airport’s own proposal. The impacts are therefore considered to be unacceptable. • Expansion will reduce the amount of respite from noise that some communities (e.g. those under approach paths for the southern runway) benefit from as there will be increased use of mixed mode • Health impacts of expansion are significant as assessed by the monetisation assessment which shows that annoyance, heart attacks, hypertension, sleep disturbance are calculated to cost £25 billion to mitigate. It is unclear if these impacts and their associated costs are considered to be acceptable, how the costs and impacts would be mitigated or who would do this.
Air Quality Impacts Road traffic is the dominant emission source resulting from expansion at Heathrow to affect H&F. Many areas in London including H&F continue to exceed the Government’s national air quality standards, particularly for