NATS airspace consultation

Proposed aircraft route changes – Update

Earlier this year, National Air Traffic Services (NATS) consulted the public on a major revision of aircraft routes to the north of London. The stated objective was to reduce delays and accommodate anticipated future growth from existing runways up to 2014. The opportunity was also taken to re-design routes to use the extra flexibility of satellite-based navigation.

Certain aspects of the proposals were of serious concern to the Society and to many others in the Chilterns, especially the changes proposed to Luton departure routes. These would bring more aircraft over tranquil areas of the Chilterns and at lower altitudes than currently. Crucially, the Society felt that NATS were failing properly to interpret Government guidance about the status of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). We objected strongly on those grounds. The Society’s comprehensive written response to the consultation is available on our website. Using technical expertise available from within the Society’s membership, and following liaison with other objectors, we made suggestions for changes to the NATS proposals to address our concerns.

In addition to liaising and sharing technical assessments with the CCB and other groups in the Chilterns, representatives of the Society spoke at several public meetings. Our Chairman, John Taylor, together with representatives from the CCB and the National Trust, 3 local MPs and others, also attended a meeting with Jonathan Shaw MP, the DEFRA Minister for Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs and Minister for the South East, who relayed our joint concerns to the Secretary of State for Transport.

NATS have now issued their Initial Feedback Document, (viewable ›here‹). They have received over 15,000 responses to the consultation, with the “principal substantive theme” being “concern about noise in rural areas where tranquillity is valued, compared to noise in towns where there is generally a higher level of ambient noise”. In their report, NATS have identified those elements of their initial proposals on which they intend to undertake further analysis and design work, as a result of issues raised. In some cases this will involve further public consultation. Further updates are promised.

In relation to the Chilterns area, there are some promising signs, with NATS explicitly saying they are looking at other design options for some of the routes we were concerned about. A joint letter has been sent from the CCB, the Chiltern Society, the National Trust, most local authorities and local MPs, and others, welcoming NATS’ apparent readiness to reconsider, and seeking dialogue on the detailed options at the earliest opportunity.

In the meantime, the Society is deciding what else we might usefully do to influence the outcome, as ever seeking to contribute constructively and objectively. We also need to decide how to pursue the points we made to which NATS have not given satisfactorily responses.

Although this consultation was explicitly not about new runways and terminals, nor about night flights, it has brought to the surface the considerable strength of feeling that already exists about the noise burden on the Chilterns from commercial and recreational flying. Just as we have done for many years, the Society will continue to actively campaign on these issues.

Click ›here‹ to read the full Chiltern Society submission including proposals to amend routes and raise minimum altitudes to reduce local impact.

 

The area affected is rather appropriately indicated in the consultation website as grey and black ‘sound waves’!