Anthony called on the Government to do more for residents disturbed by plane noise in a House of Commons debate last night (Monday 9 January).
Anthony secured the adjournment debate, which takes place at the end of a day in the House of Commons, following a dramatic increase in plane travel over villages in South Cambridgeshire due to changes to flight paths into Luton Airport. The debate follows work with local campaign groups and a meeting convened with neighbouring MPs, the National Air Traffic Service, the Civil Aviation Authority and officials from Luton Airport.
Many residents are suffering sleepless nights as they are awoken every time a plane goes overhead, which can be up to every two minutes in busy periods. Others feel like prisoners in their own homes, unable to use their gardens that have become echo chambers for all-consuming plane noise. At the conclusion of the debate, Anthony received assurances from the Minister that the post-implementation review period would be extended to September 2023, that local residents would have a direct channel for complaints post-implementation, and to meet with MPs to discuss the points raised at greater length.
Proposals were consulted on, but people's thoughts were understandably elsewhere over the pandemic, with such technical documents ill-suited for general consumption. He is proposing a number of actions and changes to reflect the current local situation, asking the Government to:
- revise the guidance to reflect the differing ambient noise levels of urban and rural areas.
- ask the Civil Aviation Authority to extend the review by a further 3 months, to September 2023.
- review the CAP1616 process for changing airspace for this and future consultations, to ensure there is a more independent analysis once the new flight path is implemented.
- ensure that National Air Traffic Services hold to their word and share their ADS-B and radar data as they agreed to do in Mr Browne’s recent local meeting.
After the debate, Anthony commented “The impact and disturbance in South Cambridgeshire has been much greater than the consultation indicated. My constituents have suffered, as have those in other areas, and this must be put right while ensuring no other village meets with similar challenges.
“Local people must be provided with the opportunity to express their views on proposed changes, and they must have their voices heard. I want to transform the process for flightpath implementation and to provide residents with a fresh opportunity to share their thoughts formally on the new flightpaths."
