Rosyprimrose

Am not planning on moving (I hope!) but I do worry about losing all peace & quiet - especially when am pottering in the garden on sunny afternoons (Roll on summer...)

I totally agree that most of us want to fly once or twice a year on holiday - and we happily accept a certain amount of plane noise (as well as traffic noise....police sirens etc etc...) if choose to live in a city like London. It's just that the Heathrow expansion plans feel a little like someone's planning to build a motorway through our neighourhood without even bothering to ask the locals how they feel! (The public consultation only includes West London.) And, if the proposals do happen, the people in the little villages near Heathrow will of course be affected by the extra flights too. (in fact, their homes may be bulldozed to make way for a third runway...) So it's an issue that affects South-East and West Londoners (and North Londoners too I guess!)

I know people have written about annoying aircraft noise on this forum before, and wondered if anyone saw the story in The Standard about how South-East London will be especially badly affected if Heathrow expands? This is because they're proposing to end runway alternation (where planes land on the northern and southern runways alternately) - which would mean a lot more planes flying overhead. Also, the planes may well be flying lower (to keep the two runways' flightpaths apart.) So more noise - not a nice thought! According to campaigners quoted, "it is South East London which will notice the biggest change. It will be like living under a sky of sound." Unfortunately, the public consultation isn't bothering to include our part of town, but the website hacan.org.uk can direct you to a petition....