Calls for airport to investigate noise

11:58am Tuesday 9th October 2007

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The borough's leaders have called on the owner of Heathrow Airport to pay for an investigation into claims that aircraft noise is negatively affecting children's health and education.

Research carried out by scientists in 2001-2002 showed that constant noise from jet engines hinders children's reading and memory development.

About 1,000 Hounslow children, then aged nine to 10, were included in the study.

The council now needs £125,000 to conduct a follow-up study on the same pupils, currently aged 15-16, to see if they have suffered long-term harm to their education and general well-being.

It wants Heathrow's owner, BAA, to pay for the follow-up study from its Heathrow Noise Fines Fund, which collects fine money from airliners whose planes breach airport noise limits.

The council's executive member for aviation, Councillor Barbara Reid, said: "There is strong scientific evidence that aircraft noise can affect the education and wellbeing of children living close to airports.

"I hope that BAA will show us that it cares enough about our children to want to uncover the scale of this problem.

"It seems only right that money collected from the worst noise polluters at Heathrow should be used to look into this issue."

BAA runs a £25 million programme to help insulate schools and other public buildings in the communities which are situated in noisy spots underneath Heathrow's flight path.

The company would not confirm this week whether it would pay for the research. A spokesperson said: "We are currently considering this along with other applications from local boroughs."

A study published in 2006 by property experts found that the cost of bringing schools across the borough in line with national noise standards is a staggering £103.6million, revealing a shortfall in Government funding to Hounslow's schools in excess of £80.

Scientists from the University of London, who carried out the original study, are lined up to conduct the follow-up study.