Ealing Airport Action Group at Noise Olympics
HACAN stages race in Ravenscourt Park to highlight impact of Heathrow expansion
Ealing Airport Action Group will be taking part in the so called 'Noise Olympics', staged by campaign group HACAN today (Thursday August 18 at 11am) in Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith.
The Olympics will feature a 100 metre race with eight runners representing the seven European airports which overfly the most people, plus Gatwick.
The top three will mount a podium to be presented with gold, silver and bronze ear-defenders. The race has been timed to coincide with the athletics programme at the Olympic Games in Brazil.
HACAN Chair John Stewart says: " Heathrow is the overwhelming favourite to win. Its planes fly over at least 725,000 people. That is more than three times second place Frankfurt.
"And 60 times more than Gatwick which has just been asked to join the race because it is a candidate for expansion."
He adds: " Heathrow is in a noise league of its own. We expect this to be an important factor when Theresa May decides what airport to expand. With a second runway, Gatwick is expected to impact a total of around 37,000 people."
Margaret Majumdar, Secretary of Ealing Airport Action Group has recently written to the new Prime Minister 'pleased and relieved' with Theresa May's stated opposition to the third runway.
She writes: '' As an environmental group attempting to defend the residents of Ealing from even more aircraft noise than they already suffer, we oppose any further development of Heathrow, and we look forward to your continuing support in resisting any new Heathrow runway.''
Jackie Clark, the chair of Stop Heathrow Expansion, which represents the Heathrow villages, says: " We will be sending spectators to the event. The human impact of building a new runway at Heathrow is just too high for it to be acceptable."
August 17, 2016
