Heathrow’s new flightpaths are “unacceptable”

CPRE Surrey has expressed “serious concerns” about the potential impact of proposed new Heathrow flight paths on the environment of North Surrey, particularly on Green Belt countryside.

CPRE Surrey’s Tim Murphy says: “The consequences of an expanded Heathrow will be that North Surrey residents and visitors will be subject to far more flights at much lower altitudes than they experience at present. For example, here in Epsom & Ewell, the constituency of Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, we will experience up to 47 additional flights per hour for arrivals and an additional 17 flights per hour for departures, at heights as low as 3,000 feet, whereas the current average altitude of Heathrow flights over the Borough is around 12,000 feet. As many as 25 additional planes would overfly the Borough between six and seven in the morning.”

Mr Murphy says that CPRE welcomes the “robust” submission made by Epsom & Ewell Borough Council to Heathrow Airport’s recent consultation. “The borough council are right to highlight the scale of increase in flights that people in this area will have to endure, but not only will these proposed changes to flight paths have an unacceptable impact on residents, they would also affect the natural environment across the whole of North Surrey, especially the tranquillity and air quality of our countryside and green spaces.”

He adds: “CPRE has serious concerns about the negative environmental impact of the flightpath changes in terms of noise and air pollution. Here in Epsom & Ewell this also threatens our vitally important horse-training industry. We fully support the statement made by Councillor Eber Kington, the Chairman of Epsom & Ewell’s Strategy & Resources Committee, who said that ‘[Epsom and Ewell Council] will continue to argue in the strongest possible terms against any proposal for airport expansion that impacts so negatively on our borough.’ CPRE agrees with Cllr Kington and will be campaigning against any increase in flights over North Surrey.”