Datchet and Old Windsor villagers to get a chance to have their say over Heathrow noise
RESIDENTS of the Royal Borough are being urged to attend public consultation events about Heathrow Airport's plans for noise compensation if the go-ahead is given for a third runway.
The consultations are set to take place on Saturday at Datchet Village Hall, in Allen Way, between 10am to 4pm and on Wednesday at the Old Windsor Day Centre, in Straight Road, from 2pm to 9pm.
The meetings will allow residents to hear how Heathrow would compensate residents and also offer the chance to challenge plans for a third runway, which the Royal Borough is opposed to.
Cllr George Bathurst, chairman of the council's aviation forum and cabinet member for policy and performance, said: "If the third runway is approved, the noise levels for our residents will increase and cause them further problems [and that] it is important that residents attend these meetings to learn about Heathrow's plans so that they can share their views and get involved with shaping Heathrow's consultation."
Residents across the borough have been up in arms about a five-month-long trial at Heathrow to explore the future of airspace in Europe, in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and National Air Traffic Services (NATS), in order to determine different ways in which to tidy aircraft movements.
The Royal Borough has written to the CAA demanding to know why it was not consulted before the trial route was devised, which would have given the council the chance to highlight the impact the new route would have on these communities.
The trial started last month and is due to operate until January 26, 2015.
Any residents who have been affected by the noise can contact the airport directly by e-mail at noise_complaints@heathrow.com or by telephone on 0800 344 844.
Heathrow has confirmed the trial route is not permanent, with its stated aim being to test three aspects: performance-based navigation (the ability of aircraft to follow a precise GPS vector), route viability (whether the route achieves the 'airspace tidy' required) and noise impact (the balance of disrupting different communities and whether indeed it is right to balance noise impact over wider groups of residents).
Heathrow has also stated that it is collating all responses from residents who report issues of noise resulting from the trial.
The results and conclusions of these route trials will be reported to the CAA, NATS and ultimately in 2016 central government which will decide whether these trials become a permanent option for the airport.
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