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Dear Alan Whitehead [MP for Southampton Test - sent 29.04.19],
I have written to you previously about the proposed reduction of tree height at Marlhill Copse and the resulting increase in aircraft noise for the whole of Southampton caused by shallower take off to the south.
The following is taken from SIAL's draft masterplan and shows the noise contours as of 2016. From the thumbnail you will spot the modelled extent of a 54 dB contour [13.3 Appendix 4 pg. 37].
https://www.southamptonairport.com/media/4908/southampton-airport-draft-masterplan.pdf
There are also projections for the noise contours for 2021 and 2037 on page 38. I assume that the tree-height reduction at Marlhill Copse has been taken into account in formulating these projections. You will note that the 54 dB contour does not intrude into the Test constituency in 2016 but covers most of St. Denys (beyond Thomas Lewis Way) by 2021 and almost extends to Portswood Road by 2037.
Please also note that the noise contour maps produced by the CAA for other airports include a 51dB contour:
https://publicapps.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP%201506%20FEB17.pdf
My rough visual estimate from the contour slopes for Southampton would place a 51 dB contour just east of the Avenue by 2037.
I urge you to request a briefing on Marlhill Copse from the managing director of SIAL at the next Airport Consultative Committee (21st June 2 pm.). It would be helpful if you could clarify whether the projected works at Marlhill Copse have been taken into account in the above projections. If not, the noise contours will spread even further over Southampton - once the trees have been felled/crown-reduced.
Marlhill Copse is a whole-city issue. It needs a whole-city response.
Further information, which I hope you will find helpful, is given in the petition link below. The Friends of Marlhill Copse would be grateful to receive any advice or support you could offer. [no acknowledgement/ reply received 13.05.19]
Thumbnail referred to in letter above
Letter to Alan Whitehead MP [sent 03.05.19] This is further to my recent email about the projected increase in noise levels over the Test constituency caused by airport expansion.
Please note that the decibel levels quoted are projected averages for 'aircraft related events' over the day and do not reflect levels experienced on the ground for single flights, which will obviously be much higher.
Furthermore, please note the modal split changes for the relevant graphs in the draft masterplan:
2016 [actual] - 76% for runway 20 (take off to the south) and 24% for runway 02 (take off to the north);
2021 & 2037 [projected] - 64% runway 20 and 36% runway 02.
[I presume an anticipated change in prevalent wind direction accounts for the greater use of runway 02].
If the directional change in these projections is wrong and the modal split remains at 76/24, the noise contours should be even further spread over the Test constituency than shown in Appendix 13 of the masterplan because take off height (and therefore spread of noise) is greater than landing height. As you will be aware, plane engines also need to produce more power on take off than landing.
I hope this is useful. [no acknowledgement/reply received 13.05.19]
The 797th Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Peter Baillie, accepted an invitation to tour Marlhill Copse on 31st May 2019 and saw for himself some of the trees that are under threat from the airport. It was a great opportunity to show him the strength of feeling there is about the need to protect these trees and thank him for his kind support. [Photos]. I discovered that the Mayor had already signed the petition himself!