Leigh-on-Sea
Essex
11th July 2009
Your refs: 246/09 & 247/09
Dear Mr Welch
Thank you for your letters dated 30th June and 9th July respectively which we have just picked up off the mat on our return from Holiday.
I refer to the third paragraph in your letter of the 30th June in which you state “If a runway extension were to be progressed we would be able to install a second Instrument Landing System (ILS) at Southend improving safety and approach procedures for aircraft runway 06″. What if a runway extension does not go ahead? There will still be flights approaching over Leigh and Southend. Why are you not able to install an ILS regardless of whether the runway extension goes ahead? Do we, as residents, not warrant improved safety and approach procedures?
But as you might appreciate it is of course the noise factor that is our major concern as residents. If, as you state the various aircraft that were the subject of my letters were operating to standard procedures and wholly within the airport’s operating conditions this is presumably what we could expect every 10 minutes or so of every day throughout the summer season. Perhaps you would be good enough initially to explain precisely what these standard procedures and operating conditions are. Sufficed to say the noise generated by these aircraft would be totally unacceptable when repeated on a day to day basis if residents living close to or under the flight path are to retain any vestige of quality of life.
In your letter of 9th July you asked me to be more specific about what I mean by ‘re-aligning the runway’. I would have thought that this is something which you and the Councils concerned would have had as a major primary consideration if you are at all concerned as you say with the day to day quality of life of the thousands of residents who live close to flight path of the existing runway. I am no expert and I only know what I have read in the local press. However, I do recollect a letter in which the correspondent stated that if the runway was re-aligned to SE-NW there is a one mile wide by 4 miles long corridor of open countryside from Southend which runs between Hockley and Hawkwell to the north and Rayleigh and Eastwood to the South (viewable on Google Earth), beyond which is only countryside. Additionally I also took note of a more recent letter in which the writer stated that wind speeds and direction are changing possibly due to global warming so to dismiss re-alignment of the runway as technically impossible is a bit of a misnomer. The UK largest airport London Heathrow is aligned East to West, London City Airport is also aligned East to West, Manston (just across the Thames Estuary from Southend and evidently also one of the UK’s longest runways is roughly SSE-NNW. I only know what I read but it seems legitimate to ask the question inasmuch that it seems quite clear that modern aircraft can take off and land in almost any wind direction.
I would ask the question, have you at any time looked into the possibility of re-alignment? If not, why not? And if so, why is it not possible?
Yours sincerely
H F Bramble (Mrs)
London Southend Airport
16th July 2009
Mrs H F Bramble
Leigh on Sea
Essex
Dear Mrs Bramble,
Thank you for your letter dated 11th July in which you ask me a question about the installation of an instrument landing system on runway 006 and also about the feasibility of a realigned runway.
If I may I’ll respond to the questions in reverse order:
Runway realignment – firstly the reason I asked you to clarify was that I was unclear whether you were referring to a slight reorientation of the existing runway or the construction of a new runway perpendicular to the existing runway – I believe you suggest the latter. As you may know the airport had a ‘cross wind’ runway for a number of years although this was decommissioned many years ago. Whilst there is a long technical explanation, the short answer is that this is simply not practical. I would be very happy to discuss this with you in more detail on the phone if this would be helpful, but I can assure you this has been explored in some detail and discounted.
ILS – an Instrument landing system consists of two key equipment components – a ‘localiser’ which is a series of aerials at the end of the runway and a ‘glidepath’ which is some electronic equipment which sets out an approach angle for approaching aircraft. This glidepath has to be close to the touchdown zone for aircraft and has to have clear line of sight for approaching aircraft. We cannot achieve this with the current runway arrangement due to the proximity of both the taxiway system and other above ground obstacles. The proposed changes to the runway would enable the ILS to be installed in an area free of obstacles adjacent to the new touch down zone.
I hope this is helpful but as I have indicated if you would find a more detailed explanation helpful, please do contact me on 01702 608115, I’d be happy to explain this to you in as much detail as would be helpful.
Kind regards.
Yours sincerely
Alastair Welch
Managing Director
22nd July 2009
Dear Mr Welch
London Southend Airport – The Runway
Many thanks for your letter dated 16th July 2009 in which, inter alia, you kindly offered to discuss with me on the telephone the reasons why re-alignment of the runway would not be practical (I note you say “practical” but not “practicable”).
Such a discussion would sadly not be productive for either of us. I have no technical expertise in this area as I suspect you will already have assumed. I am simply one of those thousands of residents who live close to, or directly under, the existing flight-path and whose quality of life would stand to be completely destroyed if the proposal to extend the existing runway is finally approved.
Despite my humble status, however, I am capable of reading and digesting correspondence from people who clearly purport to know much more about the subject than I. And, when I fead the sort of letters to which I drew attention in my letter of 11th July, on the face of it there did seem to be a very real possibility of a compromise solution involving re-alignment of the runway which would offer the prospect of increased flights without destroying quality of life.
In these circumstances I feel sure you will agree that residents, like myself, are entitled at the very least to know much more about this aspect than has been published hitherto, certainly more than a bald statement that “it has been explored in some detail and discounted”.
Perhaps you would, therefore, be good enough to advise me:-
- When was the subject last discussed?
- In what forum was it discussed and explored?
- Are the records of the discussion/exploration available for public inspection?
- Have there been any papers produced on the subject? If so, are copies available for public consumption?
- What is the technical explanation (to which you refer in your letter) of why the re-alignment is not practical?
A number of my friends and neighbours look forward to your reply. Who knows, you might just be able to dissuade them from the long-held, and thus far understandable, view that you couldn’t give a damn about their quality of life.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Mrs H F Bramble
London Southend Airport
21st August 2009
Mrs H F Bramble
Leigh on Sea
Essex
Dear Mrs Bramble,
Thank you for your letter dated 22nd July. You make a number of points and ask a number of questions which you ask me to respond to in writing. I do feel, however and as I mentioned in my previous letter, I think it would be much more useful to discuss this matter over the phone or I would be happy to meet with you in person.
This issue is a complex one and I feel it would be much easier to explain to you in person and answer any questions that arise as part of the discussion then and there.
I do hope you are able to take up this offer. Please contact Nicola Charles on 01702 608115 to arrange a suitable time. If you feel that this is not something that you would like to discuss now the offer will remain open for you to take up at a time that is more convenient.
Yours sincerely,
Alistair Welch
Managing Director