Is your sleep disturbed by aircraft noise?

A resident who lives near Hilly Fields came to my surgery recently. For the past few years he has regularly been woken up early in the morning (sometimes as early as 4.30am) by aircraft noise, and finds it difficult to get back to sleep. Back in January, when I asked the deputy mayor whether Lewisham would be submitting a formal response to the consultation on Heathrow (LBL didn't, Greens did) she said that the borough only received one or two complaints a year from residents about aviation noise. However, I'm now wondering if this is a case of a few individuals who are very light sleepers being particularly effected, or if the problem is more widespread and people are simply suffering in silence.

HACAN and the London Assembly environment committee have both at various times commissioned research on the impacts of aircraft noise on Londoners' quality of life. HACAN are very concerned at the impact a third runway or ending the runway alternation at Heathrow will have on those living under flightpaths are they are calling for the adoption of the noise levels recommended by the World Health Organisation.

So, I would like some feedback from residents: are you disturbed by aircraft noise? Does it wake you up/stop you from sleeping? E-mail me or post in the comments please.

Public Meeting on Heathrow Expansion

HACAN are organising a public meeting in Blackheath on Heathrow Expansion. Unfortunately it clashes with full council so I won't be able to go. John Stewart is a good speaker and I would recommend it to anyone concerned about the impact of airport expansion, wanting to know more or get involved in the Heathrow campaign.

Wednesday 23rd April, 7.30 pm, Recital Room, Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Rd, SE3 9RQ. Speaker: John Stewart, Chair HACAN

What the Government’s proposals could mean for South East London :

• All flights will land over South East London if Heathrow Expansion plans go ahead
• Introduction of ‘Mixed-Mode’ at Heathrow 730 flights a day
• Third Runway 950 flights a day
• ‘Mixed-Mode and a Third Runway 1100 flights a day
• The maps produced by the Department during its recent consultation on Heathrow expansion show that all aircraft landing over London will join their final landing path as far east as Woolwich and Bexley and then fly in two parallel paths to Heathrow.
• The northern flight path: Greenwich – Peckham – Camberwell – Vauxhall
• The southern flight path: Blackheath – Deptford – Dulwich – Stockwell/Brixton

Heathrow Consultation - Lewisham Green Group Response

Yesterday I submitted a response to the Heathrow Expansion Consultation, on behalf of the Lewisham Green Party Group. Unsurprisingly, we oppose the plans for a third runway. The full response can be read here. Lewisham Council itself did not submit a response, which I find surprising, given the potential impact increased flights will have on noise pollution levels in those parts of the borough under flight paths, not to mention the impact that climate change will have on every single one of us. The current government seems content to put the onus for action on climate change on individuals, telling us to use energy efficient lightbulbs etc, while with breathtaking hypocrisy expanding airports and allowing new coal fired power stations to be built.

Two important consultations

Sometimes as a councillor (and probably to local residents too) it seems like there is an endless round of consultations to respond to. Well there are two at the moment that I think are particularly important, which Lewisham Green Group will definitely be submitting responses to and I encourage others to do likewise.

A Picture of Health
A consultation on possible changes to how NHS services in south-east London are organised started yesterday and runs until 7th April. Everyone who lives in Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley should be getting details through their door, or the consultation can be viewed online at: http://www.apictureofhealth.nhs.uk/. There are four possible scenarios being consulted on, which include among other things proposals to close the A&E and maternity facililities at Lewisham Hospital. Suffice to say that this is controversial and will, I suspect, be a big issue in the forthcoming elections in London (even though the NHS is not really within the GLA or Mayor of London's remit). This consultation pre-empts the final publication of the Darzi report on healthcare in London.

Heathrow Expansion
The Department for Transport are currently consulting on proposals to expand Heathrow Airport. Putting aside arguments about climate change, not destroying historic villages etc, any expansion in capacity is likely to lead to increased noise and air pollution across much of London, including in south-east London which is directly under some flight paths. I would urge anyone concerned about how this may impact on their quality of life to respond. The consultation can be found at http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/heathrowconsultation/.
For Friends of the Earth's take on the expansion, see http://www.foe.org.uk/campaigns/transport/case_studies/heathrow.html.

Of course there was also the pseudo consultation on a new generation of nuclear power stations, but that was too shambolic for words, and I await the outcome of the next legal challenge by Greenpeace and other NGOs to that.

Oh, and there's also the planning bill currently going through parliament, which you may wish to lobby your MP about, as that will enable the government to force through major developments such as airports, nuclear power station and motorways. More info on the Friends of the Earth website: http://www.foe.org.uk/resource/local/planning/whats_going_on/index.html.

Mr Benn Spin

A few months ago, I signed up to a petition on the 10 Downing Street website calling on the

Prime Minister to stop the expansion of Heathrow.

Yesterday I received a carefully crafted piece of spin from Hilary Benn in response, which, the summary on the site says "highlights the UK Government's commitment to seeking international agreement on a post-2012 climate change framework, and encourages petitioners, their families, and friends, to use the new CO2 Calculator". Nowhere in the response does he even allude to the government's plans to expand Heathrow airport in their business, regardless of the fact that it would cancel out any potential emissions reductions we might manage, not to mention destroy communities and make life unbearable for many more due to noise levels. No no, the onus is on individuals to use the new CO2 calculator. Oh that should sort it then, we'll just rely on people's good will to reduce their individual carbon footprint, that should do it.