Dear David Amess,
I would like to take this opportunity to oppose the expansion of Southend Airport.
I believe the expansion would produce a considerable detrimental health & environmental impact upon residents & the local area.
- Noise pollution. If what is proposed, then the frequency of larger aircrafts would produce a significant increase in the noise pollution of this area. It would not only increase in frequency, but would also be at more unsociable hours & night times. This would result in sleepless nights for many.
- Environmental. When we are at a time when it is crucial to decrease our “carbon footprint” then surely we should look at more environmentally friendly travel & freight solutions, rather than the use of heavy aircraft, due to their negative effects on our already fragile global climate.
- Negative Heath Effects. Studies show that the effects of air pollution on the public could lead to increased heart & respiratory problems, including asthma. The HYENA study recently proved that noise from aircrafts can actually raise your blood pressure even when you are asleep.
- Property prices. In an already unstable financial market, I fail to see how the council think it would be beneficial to our area to add to the reduction in house prices. I moved to Leigh on Sea as I thought it was a beautiful & peaceful area. Since I have moved here, house prices have already dropped, as in many areas. By expanding the airport, this could only lead to further drop in house prices, devaluing our wonderful Leigh on Sea.
- Road Infrastructure. The A127 & A13 are already struggling to cope with the extent of traffic leading into Southend. This can be seen when it is tested on a sunny weekend or Bank Holiday. Our roads cannot support the tourist influx at the best of times & leave roads often almost in gridlock!
- Most importantly, Our Children. There are many children that would be affected by the expansion. Not only would they be affected by the points raised above, but also their schooling will be upset by the noise pollution. How many of us find it difficult to concentrate with noise around us, yet we are asking our children, our future, to learn & focus with the sound of planes as background noise. This negative effect would be contributed also by the lack of sleep our children would get. A study made by Barts & The London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of London has suggested that exposure to aircraft noise can impair reading comprehension. The authors concluded that schools exposed to high levels of aircraft noise are not healthy educational environments. EU research has also shown that exposure to aircraft noise has negative effects on children’s cognitive development.
There are a few precious things in life that we need to invest in & take special care of; our children, our health and our environment. I pose one question to contemplate….How can the expansion of our airport enhance these? My answer is that they can’t!
Yours sincerely,
Siouxzy Prior
Member of Parliament for Southend West
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA
Mrs Siouxzanne L. Prior
Leigh-on-Sea
Essex
Monday, 20th April 2009
Dear Mrs Prior,
Thank you for your letter regarding Southend Airport, which I have read carefully. I absolutely understand your concern and share your anxiety about the impact on Leigh residents. The proposed expansion involves redirecting a busy road, has environmental implications and will also mean more noise disturbance, particularly for residents in Leigh such as yourself over which the new flight paths would run.
I have made my views clear to the Airport’s Managing Director Alastair Welch and will continue to watch this issue very very carefully to ensure that local residents’ interests are represented. I will also make sure your views are made known to the relevant authorities. I will contact you again as soon as I receive a response.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or think I can be of any further assistance in relation to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With all best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
David Amess MP
Member of Parliament for Southend West
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A 0AA
Mrs Siouxzanne L. Prior
Leigh-on-Sea
Essex
28 April 2009
Dear Mrs Prior,
Following our recent correspondence, I have received a response from Alastair Welch, Managing Director for Southend Airport.
Please find enclosed a copy of his reply. Though the letter responds to the points you made in some detail, I entirely appreciate it is unlikely to allay your anxiety – indeed, it does not mine. I will continue to make the case that any change in the status of the airport must not detrimentally affect the welfare of local residents.
I have also sent on a copy of your letter to the Chief Executive of Southend Council and the Leader of the Council. I have made and will continue to make representations to ensure that local residents’ concerns are not only listened to, but acted upon.
If you have any questions about the letter or if you think I can be of any further assistance in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
With all best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
David Amess MP
London Southend Airport
23rd April 2009
David Amess MP
House Of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
Dear Mr Amess,
Thank you for your letter dated 20th April in which you invite me to comment on a number of points raised by Mrs Prior of Leigh-on-Sea.
As you will appreciate, the merits of any runway extension will have to be expored as part of any future planning application and is something that the relevant authorities would have to consider at that time.
That said; your constituent raises points on a number of topics, specifically noise, pollution and road traffic which I comment on in turn:
Noise – The councils have made clear that the permitted noise levels at night (currently over 900 flights per month are permitted) would have to be dramatically reduced if any runway extension were to be approved.
CO2 – Rightly, we all have an obligation to address the impacts of global warming. Technically the emissions issue of aviation will increasingly be addressed in policy terms by EU emissions trading. That said, if we were to bring forward an application to extend the runway we would need to take account of this in any environmental impact assessment. Interestingly, today there are around 500,000 flights per year taken to Europe by people living in Southend and Rochford. These people typically drive to Stansted or Gatwick for their flights today which, itself has a big impact on CO2 emissions.
Road traffic – whilst I have yet to see the Councils’ traffic assessment, the airport at 2 million passengers – which we envisage could be in 10-15 years time – would, in the peak hour result in around 240 passenger related road movements per hour in each direction. The peak hours fall before the morning roads peak and after the evening roads peak. In addition, the peak movements per hour – under 500 – is around the number associated at the peak hour with a typical supermarket – and very significantly less than that associated with a major superstore.
The current council consultation relates to planning policy and as such is somewhat general in certain aspects – what is clear however, is that the two local councils’ preferred option sees Southend as an airport eventually achieving a maximum of 2 million passengers per annum – around 10% of the current size of Stansted or 3% of Heathrow. My hope is that we can serve the local population with high quality facilities, which allows them to fly from their local airport.
Today, the residents of Rochford and Southend alone make around 500,000 journeys to Europe by air each year. If the European flights from residents in Castle Point and Basildon are added this total is over 900,000. Far from being a London overspill, we see this being an airport to serve the local community.
Finally, the benefits of a successful local airport are, I believe, of very considerable value to the area. The additional on-airport employment will be considerable with over 1,000 additional jobs in ten years time. The inward investment arising from the improved access to Europe is of significant benefit and we believe the airport can play a central role in the regeneration and transformation of Southend and the broader South Essex corridor for the future.
I hope you find this helpful.
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely,
Alastair Welch
Managing Director