Fears of Increased Plane Noise in Surrey Village with New Heathrow Flight Path
Residents worry about rising aircraft noise as Heathrow proposes new flight paths affecting their village
Surrey, Heathrow, Stanwell Moor, Spelthorne, Noise Pollution
Surrey: Folks in Stanwell Moor are pretty anxious about the noise from planes. With Heathrow’s new flight path plans, they could see over 300 planes flying overhead daily. Right now, they only deal with about 36 planes a day, but that could change big time.
The idea is to switch between the southern and northern runways to spread out the noise. Usually, planes take off and land towards the west, but this new plan could mean a lot more noise for the village.
Heathrow is also looking to build a noise barrier and tweak some taxiways to help cut down on ground noise. But residents are already feeling the strain, with constant aircraft noise for half the day. If the new plans go through, it could get even worse.
While the airport claims this will balance noise better across the area, Spelthorne Borough Council’s noise officer isn’t buying it. They think it will just make things worse for Stanwell Moor.
Councillor Joanne Sexton was shocked by the potential increase in noise. She’s worried about how it will affect Ashford too, but the noise officer reassured her that Ashford and Sunbury wouldn’t be hit as hard.
Heathrow’s planning proposal is currently under review, and Spelthorne councillors have voted against it, citing unacceptable noise levels. They’re passing their concerns to the planning committee.
Cllr Sue Doran, who’s lived in Stanwell for years, is glad the council is pushing back. She says the noise is relentless, no matter which way the planes fly. Only one councillor, Cllr Paul Woodward, supports the proposal, arguing that landing is the quietest part of flying.
Heathrow aims to have the new runway alternation in place by 2028. They’re not planning to increase flights, just change the direction they come from. Right now, they switch runways halfway through the day to give residents a break.
A spokesperson for Heathrow said they’re aware of the noise issues and have set targets to reduce it. They’ve already cut their noise footprint significantly since 2006 and are working on more solutions for nearby communities.
The consultation period ended on January 16, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens next.