Heathrow offers extra £450 million for noise insulation scheme

Heathrow Airport executives have come up with £450 million to expand their noise insulation scheme as part of their bid to get a third runway.

An existing runway at Heathrow. Image by Jan Pěček / CC BY 2.0

They say that the extra financial package will guarantee noise relief for 120,000 properties in that part of London.

However rival airport Gatwick has claimed that by giving the third runway to Heathrow, a further 130,000 flights would travel over central London while also increasing pollution problems.

As the Airports Commission’s public consultation began examining the third runway issue this week, Heathrow’s extra money means it would spend up to £700 million, depending on take-up, if it got the green light to expand its takeoff and landing base.

The airport would fund the full cost for those in the closest zones having their houses noise-insulated, reports the Evening Standard, with homes further away getting support of up to £3000 to have such work undertaken.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said they were endeavouring through the announcement of extra finance to reduce the impact of noise and also treat people fairly.

The scheme was now comparable to those offered for such European airports as Amsterdam, Madrid, Paris and Frankfurt.

The chairman of anti-Heathrow expansion group HACAN, John Stewart said the offer showed how the local residents had been treated with sub-standard noise protection in the past.