Anase

ANASE

An important report on Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources (ANASE) was published by the Department for Transport (DfT) in November. This scientific research, carried out by independent international experts, has caused consternation in the government and in the aviation industry. When the study was started, six years ago, the airlines were confident that it would prove that complaints about aircraft noise were confined to a few eccentric anoraks and nutty eco-freaks, and that most people had learnt to live with noisy skies. They hoped that it would show that the majority of people around airports sleep soundly at night, and would thus pave the way for an increase in night flights.

In fact the report has proved the exact opposite! It confirms what GACC and many other airport groups have been saying for years, that aircraft noise is still a serious problem, and that:

· The official measure of noise, leq, (see glossary, page 3) does not take sufficient account of the increased number of aircraft.

· There is no cut-off point at the 57 leq contour. Even as far from the airport as about 15 miles east or west, at least 10% of people say they are ‘very annoyed’ by aircraft noise.

· For the same amount of aircraft noise, people are more annoyed now than at the time of the last survey in 1982. At the same noise level (57 leq) the level of annoyance has gone up from ‘little annoyed’ in 1982 to somewhat higher than ‘moderately annoyed’ now. That is attributed to a higher expectation of acceptable living conditions, higher average incomes, and a greater willingness to be critical of officialdom.

· Aircraft noise at night is more annoying than during the day, especially between 2300-0300 when people find it 80% more annoying, thus justifying limits on night flights.

Some campaigners, who regard these results as obvious, criticise the ANASE report as a waste of money. Not so. When the airlines say one thing, and local people say the opposite, the civil servants need to base their policy on objective research. This research proves that local people have got it right. Now the airlines are desperately trying to find ways to prove ANASE wrong.

ANASE does NOT show that noise has gone up since 1982: it does not comment on actual noise levels, merely that aircraft have got quieter but the number has increased. Nor does it show that more people are annoyed; merely that for a given level of noise more people are annoyed. Nor does it show that everyone further away from the airport is annoyed by aircraft noise; merely that beyond the 57 leq contour a proportion of people are annoyed.

It was disappointing that the ANASE research did not cover rural areas. GACC has long maintained that aircraft noise tends to be more annoying in the countryside because the background noise is lower, and because people have a higher expectation of peace and quiet. The DfT have, however, promised to put this issue on their list for further research. Nor did the research cover the problem caused by the concentration of approach paths.