LETTER: Share the pain of aircraft noise

It seems plain that comparatively few may be condemned to suffer for the convenience of the many. In other words, some few thousand country residents will have their enjoyment of house and garden spoilt so that many times that number of holidaymakers can reach their destinations in Southern Europe more conveniently.

What are the counterbalancing factors?

We are told that the average UK householder moves every seven years, hence purchasers of houses under the existing flightpaths have done so in the knowledge and expectation that they will suffer nuisance and experience discomfort and thus have no doubt bought at a discount. So equity demands that existing flightpaths are used.

Adding a further flightpath will result in many people enjoying a timing advantage in getting away for, normally, a two week holiday. People living under will experience a permanent year round, and, these days almost a clock-round disadvantage.

Existing and proposed flightpaths avoid conurbations. I stood in the Carfax at 10am on Saturday March 1. The ambient noise level was such that an aircraft flying over at 3,000 feet would scarcely have been noticed, if at all. I suspect that most of the many houses built within the town’s borders in the last 40 years are equipped with double glazing.

We are told that such doubling of flightpaths is occasioned by breakthroughs in technology.

In that case can this progress not secure a more equitable solution to the advantage of all; establish, say, six to ten new flightpaths – including over conurbations – and rotate them, more frequently during the peak months, so that the pain is shared? Surely we have the technology to achieve this in 2014?

After all, it is over 50 years since the Americans put two men on the moon. Perhaps someone more expert in this field would care to comment.

The expansion of Gatwick will bring additional profits running into billions for the airport authority, airlines, parking companies, airport retailers, taxi firms, Gatwick Express and many others.

We are told that, in recompense, affected householders may receive £1,000 off their council tax (it is not even clear for how long). That is a joke. If they are to receive compensation, let it at least be worthy of the name.

CHRISTOPHER ALLEN

Nowhurst Lane, Horsham