Stop Streatham’s suffering from aircraft noise pollution
Valerie Shawcross, London Assembly Member for Lambeth and Southwark today spoke of the misery caused to her constituents by noise from aircraft flying into and out of Heathrow Airport amid reports that a sixth terminal and third runway are to be proposed for the airport. Calling for ‘an environmental revolution in the aviation industry’ during an Assembly debate, Val said that it was not only the immediate Heathrow area which was adversely affected by increased flights ‘Where I live for example, around the Streatham and Crystal Palace area, I get complaints from residents who have been woken up by plane noise at six o’clock in the morning, particularly during busy holiday periods’. Val added that current aviation guidelines were out of date and in light of the ‘potential global catastrophe’ which could arise from global warming stated that an urgent review was necessary. ‘We can’t continue with 50 year old thinking on aviation policy’. She added ‘I don’t think there is enough pressure on the aviation industry to improve their engineering and look for ways to improve carbon emissions from their aircraft. We need to see an environmental revolution in the aviation industry – meaning higher standards of environmental regulation as well as cleaner, quieter aircraft. Air travel needs to become more efficient, less damaging to the planet and involve quality controlled carbon offsetting schemes. ‘I am joining my Assembly colleagues in
opposing this kind of expansion at Heathrow on both global and local levels’
she concluded. ‘I’m interested in hearing views from the public
on this – so please do get in touch with me if you have any comments’.
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