Essex man lodges ‘over 1,000 complaints’ about London Southend Airport night flights ‘ruining’ his sleep

A man has reportedly complained greater than 1,000 occasions about night flights out and in of Southend Airport which he says are ‘ruining’ his sleep.

Over the previous 20 years, London Southend Airport (LSA) has grown from a municipal airport to one of many busiest runways within the south-east.

Aside from passenger planes which journey to locations throughout Europe, the airport additionally facilitates quite a few freight and diverted passenger aircraft companies.

Since October 2019, the airport has been allowed to function night flights between 11pm and 6.30am. In alignment with a Section 106 settlement between the airport and the council, 120 night flights a month are allowed – a median of 4 a night.

But for native resident David Smith, that is 120 flights a month too many.

He’s been complaining to LSA bosses and native politicians ever since night flights started.

According to his personal data, he is complained greater than 1,000 occasions, and will not cease till he and others like him get their sleep again.

1,232 complaints and counting

David has lived on Byrne Drive in Southend-on-Sea since 1984

David Smith is awoken a number of occasions within the useless of every night.

He lives down Byrne Drive, a highway sandwiched between the airport and A127 roughly 4,000 toes away from the LSA runway.

David has complained to Southend Airport about each single night flight since they started in October 2019 – in line with his personal data, they complete 1,232 and counting.

“I do a month-to-month report each month to Glyn Jones,” stated David, 70.

As a part of the S106 planning settlement (2010), Southend Airport stated the night interval was prolonged from midnight – 06:00 to 23:00 – 06:30.

They state in addition they carried out quite a few different restrictions.

  • The night quota was decreased from 940 to 120 night flights monthly, which equals 4 flights a night
  • Private helicopters have been banned at night
  • Only plane with a noise QC stage of 1 (90 – 92.9EPNbD or much less) might function at night.
  • Passenger flights can solely be scheduled between 06:30 to 23:30 (restricted quota between 23:00 – 23:30) nevertheless delayed and diverted passenger flights should still function.

They additionally state that to minimise the variety of residents close by having planes departing the airport fly over them, they agreed “noise preferential routes” as a part of the S106 settlement.

On their web site, they are saying: “This signifies that all plane weighing over 5700kg should observe a straight departure heading for two.5 nautical miles when departing in the direction of the south west (over Leigh-on-Sea) and 1 nautical mile when departing in the direction of the north east (over Rochford).

“This ensures that inside the surrounding areas, departing passenger plane will solely overfly these residents already dwelling beneath the arrival path to the airport.”

As has at all times been the case, freight, enterprise, hospital, positioning and different kinds of flights can function in the course of the night, though they aren’t listed on arrivals or departures as they don’t relate to passengers.

“I exploit the complaints course of, and I’ve written no-end quite a few occasions.

“It’s quite simple -we need our sleep, we should sleep a full night, it is our proper to sleep a full night, so why aren’t we capable of?

“Why are these folks allowed to get away with it?”

Various native politicians have additionally voiced their issues over these disruptive night flights, together with Southend West MP Sir David Amess.

But as a result of the part 106 settlement was made between Southend Borough Council and the airport itself, there is not a lot which will be performed.

David stated that in latest months, there are generally six flights a night.

The 70-year-old says he’s effectively past breaking level, including: “The breaking level was handed in October 2019 and it hasn’t stopped, it is a easy as that.”

“I would like my sleep again”

2 Leigh On Sea feature

There are quite a few houses near the airport

Even although the variety of night-flights are capped at 120 a month, David stated that it solely takes one flight to disrupt his sleep.

“It takes one flight to interrupt your sleep, that is all it takes,” David stated. “That ruins the night and ruins the day.

“When you may have 4 of them taking place in a single night, you aren’t getting a lot probability to sleep to be trustworthy.

“I’m not near the airport – I’m away from it, and I’m not consistent with the runway, I’m 90 levels from it, so I get it whichever approach they take-off, I nonetheless hear the noise.

“The folks dwelling alongside the airport have to be in horrible hassle.

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“You cannot sleep, you possibly can’t focus; you are continuously attempting to get up in the course of the day and it simply goes on and on and on.”

David moved to his dwelling in 1984, again when the airport’s runway was a lot smaller and did not have the capability to serve fashionable jumbo jets.

He stated the night flights have brought on a big affect on his psychological well being, and has laughed away claims that he ought to simply transfer.

“Why ought to I transfer? They ought to cease the night flights, ” stated David.

“They ought to drop to zero – I would like my sleep again, and I’m certain hundreds of different folks need it again as effectively.”

What the airport stated

London Southend Airport

London Southend Airport

Complaints about the night flights at LSA are nothing new.

Back in November, EssexStay spoke to quite a few different residents impacted by the flights.

London Southend Airport says that night flights have not elevated since final yr, and that the airport averages simply three night flights a night.

David’s personal data present that on one night at the beginning of May, six planes took off on the airport, though he admits the quantity varies.

Regarding David’s persistent opposition to the flights, a London Southend Airport spokesperson stated: “The current Section 106 settlement, agreed with three councils, permits for restricted cargo and night operations.

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“In 2019-20, there have been, on common, fewer than three actions per night, a scenario which has not modified in 2021.

“It additionally controls the plane varieties permitted.

“The airport has at all times been and can at all times be compliant in all respects with these controls, inside which we have now developed a cargo operation using effectively over 200 native folks throughout an exceptionally difficult time.”

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