DEMAND Press Release

immediate 8 November 2005

Campaigners Question Value of NEMA Survey

Noise survey taken 300 metres from busy dual-carriageway

Campaigners from local pressure group DEMAND and Harborough MP Edward Garnier have questioned the evidential value of the recent noise survey carried out by Nottingham East Midlands Airport. DEMAND has discovered that key results were obtained just 300 metres from the new £12 million Great Glen dual carriageway.

This summer Edward Garnier asked Nottingham East Midlands Airport provide an environmental aircraft noise survey for the village of Great Glen in his constituency. The noise survey was completed by the airport in August 2005 and the results were announced by Graham Stringer, the MP for Manchester Blackley, in the House of Commons during the Civil Aviation Bill debate on October 11th.

Steve Charlish, Chairman of DEMAND, said: “Mr Stringer was quoted in Hansard as saying "that aircraft were not discernible over the high background noise of the village." But we have since found out that the noise survey was undertaken only 300 metres from the new £12million Great Glen dual carriage way bypassing the village. This devalues the survey, particularly since only 8 properties in Great Glen fall within the 300 metre noise band, the main part of the village being some distance away from the source of noise i.e. the new £12million bypass.”

Edward Garnier stated today: “The airport has recently said that it wants an open dialogue with campaigners. But it is difficult for us to trust the airport when it places its noise monitoring machines so close to a noisy dual carriageway where the ambient noise levels are bound to be higher than they are in the residential parts of the village some distance from the bypass. This road is precisely that, a bypass built to take traffic and the noise and pollution associated with it, out of the village and if NEMA had wanted to be taken seriously they would have sited the noise monitors where people actually live. We are entitled to ask whether the airport is really concerned about local people or simply engaging in spin and presentation to the Government.”

Mr Charlish added: “Why were the results of the survey announced in the House of Commons during the CA Bill debate by Graham Stringer, the MP for Manchester Blackley and a former Chairman of Manchester Airport plc? Why did he have the information about another MP’s constituency before that MP? “

DEMAND’s investigation has also revealed that the results of the NEMA survey are very similar to those predicted in a noise survey undertaken by the Government in 1992 to assess what the noise levels would be after the completion of the new bypass road.

Steve Charlish concluded: "Despite the fanfare with which Mr Stringer announced the recent noise measurements they are in line with what the Government predicted they would be – for the bypass. They tell us nothing about the noise in the air caused by aircraft using the new routes and it is time the airport took our concerns seriously,” said Steve Charlish, chairman of the DEMAND campaign group.