New proposals to change flight paths over Oxfordshire threaten to erode the county’s tranquillity. While the proposals will not lead to the levels of noise that people experience near, for example, airports, they will erode a little more of the tranquillity that the county’s visitors and residents value.

Credit: Countryside Agency/Tina Stallard

NATS airspace consultation

Proposed changes to the airspace over the Chilterns, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). 

News Update:

2010

In October 2009 NATS announced that, as a result of the further work still required to be done on the designs and the downturn in air traffic internationally, any further consultation would not now be held before September 2010 at the earliest. CPRE Oxfordshire will be keeping a close eye on developments and will respond to any future consultations.

2009

July 2009: MPS Call for action to protect scenic countryside from aircraft noise.

In a report published on 10 July, the Transport Select Committee warns that ‘current airspace guidance appears to allow unchecked increases’ in flights over sensitive areas such as National Parks and AONBs. This would progressively destroy the peace and quiet that make these areas special.

The Chilterns AONB in Oxfordshire is currently facing the threat of increased flight paths which would adversely impact on the tranquillity of the area.

The report calls on the Government to limit flights over such areas and to introduce a national airspace master plan, two key demands the Campaign to Protect Rural England made when giving oral evidence.  At present changes to airspace are considered without reference to each other or their overall impact.

Responding to the report, Ralph Smyth, Senior Transport Campaigner at CPRE, said:

With ever more people holidaying in England this summer, the proposal to limit flying over sensitive parts of our countryside such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have not come a moment too soon.’

Understanding of what makes areas ‘tranquil’ formed a key part of the Inquiry’s consideration of the environmental impacts of flying.  In 2006 CPRE commissioned researchers to develop ways to value and map tranquillity. This research was referred to by many of those giving evidence to the Inquiry and the Committee concluded tranquillity was a key factor.  CPRE is now collaborating with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to develop new measures to assess the impact of aircraft noise in tranquil areas.

• See CPRE National Office 'Tranquillity' campaign here.
• See Transport Select Committee report 'The Use of Airspace'.

February 2009: NATS announces new TCN consultation.

NATS, the UK’s leading air traffic management company, is to conduct a new consultation on revised proposals to redraw the aircraft route map in the area of south-east England known in airspace terms as Terminal Control North (TCN).

This follows detailed consideration of feedback received during an original consultation in 2008 and from meetings with local authorities and the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) to discuss concerns and options.

NATS decision to withdraw its proposals to redraw the aircraft route map in the South East is thanks in part to CPRE's campaigning.

CPRE National Office and CPRE Oxfordshire strongly objected to these changes, and the CPRE National Office's statement of objection was widely used as the basis for those of other campaign groups.

If they had gone ahead, the changes would have affected the Chilterns and Luton area, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and parts of Essex adn Hertfordshire and threatened previously tranquil rural areas.

NATS’ Director of Operations Ian Hall said:

“Many people were concerned that the original proposal was ‘a done deal’ and that NATS would not listen to objections.  We have been similarly clear that this was a genuine consultation and that we would listen to the views expressed; this second consultation demonstrates that we did listen, we have taken note and where possible options will be included for consideration.

“However, we are also very clear that doing nothing is not an option – and that the number of options available to us is extremely limited in this airspace, which is some of the most complex and congested in the world.”

NATS will begin a fresh round of conslutation later in 2009 and CPRE will follow this closely.

• See NATS Press Release (23 February 2009).

2008

July 22: NATS issue their initial feedback document and have indicated they may review options for some routes.

The NATS consultation closed on June 19 and on July 22nd NATS issued their Initial Feedback Document. They received over 15,000 responses to the consultation, with the “principal substantive theme” being “concern about noise in rural areas where tranquillity is valued, compared to noise in towns where there is generally a higher level of ambient noise”. In their report, NATS have identified those elements of their initial proposals on which they intend to undertake further analysis and design work, as a result of issues raised. In some cases this will involve further public consultation. Further updates are promised.

In relation to the Chilterns area, there are some promising signs, with NATS explicitly saying they are looking at other design options for some of the routes the CPRE and The Chiltern Society was concerned about.

See: NATS Initial Feedback Document here

See: The Chiltern Society update here

See: CPRE Oxfordshire's letter opposing the proposals for re-routing Luton flights over the Chilterns.

February 2008

• The proposed flight routes are provided on the NATS website: http://www.consultation.nats.co.uk
• See the response of the Chiltern Society at: http://www.chilternsociety.org.uk/content/news-nats.htm

2007

• July 2007. Changes to the airspace structure over a 5 mile wide area stretching from Evesham to Newbury to Andover. Further information.
• September 2005. From 16 March, 2006 the tranquillity of Oxfordshire's countryside will be shattered by a new flight path from London's airports. Further information.

Further Information

• Tranquillity in Oxfordshire