Claim planes over county could quadruple
CHANGES to air routes and a second runway at Stansted will mean the number of jet planes over Suffolk will be “three to four times” more than what is being experienced now.
Richard Cornwell
CHANGES to air routes and a second runway at Stansted will mean the number of jet planes over Suffolk will be “three to four times” more than what is being experienced now.
Campaign group South Suffolk Air Traffic Action Group (SSATAG) said the changes being proposed will mean the end of peace and tranquillity for all Suffolk.
“The people of Suffolk need to wake up to the reality of what has now been set in train by the application by BAA Stansted for a second runway,” said the group.
“Their target is to achieve 80million passengers a year.
“This is 15million more than Heathrow today.
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“At the same time the owners of Luton Airport intend to grow to 25million, the same size as Stansted is now.
“The air traffic over Suffolk will be three to four times what we are experiencing now.
“It will be 700 plus aircraft over an 18 hour day or one every one and a half minutes.
“We think this is a minimum it could easily be more.
“BAA Stansted have constantly campaigned to increase night flying between midnight and 6am. To recover the vast investment we believe that this will become an imperative to them.”
The group warned that the recent consultation on proposed changes to flightpaths and lowering heights for aircraft in some areas only covers the situation now.
“As this massive expansion takes place airspace will have to be revised again and again,” said the group.
SSATAG consists of people in the Box and Stour valleys who have suddenly found themselves living under new flightpaths which have been imposed without consultation concerning noise, pollution and dangers associated with the new routes.
They say more than 120 low-flying aircraft per day have been be re-routed over the previously peaceful area without any consultation with residents and with no opportunity to appeal against the decision.
Government has announced a public inquiry will be held into the possibility of a second Stansted runway.
Air management company NATS has agreed to review its proposals for airspace changes, which included two suggested new holding stacks for Stansted which will affect dozens of Suffolk villages.
Should Suffolk's peace and tranquillity be protected? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk
