Sunday, February 03, 2008

The REAL Levels of LCA Noise Over East and South East London


Sunday 3rd Feb - Noise measurements taken from under a mile away from the runway - planes taking off eastwards:
19.21 - 84.8db
19.32 - 73.7db
19.37 - 80.7db
19.44 - 81.8db
20.01 - 80.7db
20.03 - 80.5db


London21 kindly supplied some FTF residents/campaigners with noise monitors as part of their noise measuring project in the Royal Docks and beyond. We've been told that the whole experience has been an absolute eye opener. Or perhaps 'ear opener' may be more appropriate.

What they have realised is that they already suffer from noise levels from the increasing use of jets from the airport, far above what is recommended. They tell us that the thought that Newham Council might be foolish enough to approve LCA expansion and allow these noise levels to increase, even if Richard Gooding tells you they won't (he needs to check his own application out) is something that they cannot tolerate. They also realise that the method which the airport uses to average out the noise contours is utter rubbish - it actually uses the night and 24 hour flight free time period and adds that into the equation when working out what the noise levels are. That provides a very unaccurate picture of the noise levels experienced - how surprising!

FTF know that the only truly effective way to find out what levels of noise people experience is to take actual measurements - and then count the frequency of them. The frequency of planes taking off and landing has a huge impact on noise levels and it is a collective experience.

If there was one plane an hour taking off - most of us probably wouldn't be bothered at all, but a plane taking off every 90 seconds, for periods of up to 6 hours a day is too bad to think about (that's our approximation - but as LCA can fly out however many planes they like from their quota on any given day - a plane could land/take off every 90 seconds for 12 hours a day!). How about that at 84.4db!!

At the current noise levels it is complete madness - and as we know most councils are objecting to the application for flight expansion as they know it is not sustainable in residential, high density areas and they actually rather care about their residents, and communities, health and well being.

Now which one wants to be a 'Rotten Borough'??