A government project to map noise levels has revealed people living in Feltham and around Hounslow Heath are exposed to levels of noise that create 'community annoyance.'
The Defra maps show that noise levels from Heathrow Airport hit an average of between 60 and 75 decibels in the west of the borough – significantly higher than the 55 decibels needed to seriously affect sleep and cause annoyance.
The maps have been produced as the first stage of a response to the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006 that ask governments to calculate noise levels near major roads, railways and airports.
John Stewart, of anti-Heathrow expansion group HACAN, said: “The noise maps are showing that in areas like Feltham noise levels are above limits calculated by the World Health Organisation.
“If the government is serious about all this it should be trying to reduce noise rather than proposing further expansion. Planes are not going to get much quieter over the next 20 or 30 years but the sheer numbers will go up in a big way.”
Tonight a group of mothers called We CAN will protest outside the Houses of Parliament against airport expansion from 6pm.
See the Defra website for maps
