Third runway noise will hit North London

Hundreds of thousands of people in north London will bear the brunt of noise pollution from the proposed third Heathrow runway, it was claimed.

Maps published by local authorities show flightpaths for the new runway will mean residents from Harrow through Camden and all the way to Enfield will suffer from aircraft noise.

North London had previously escaped the worst of the noise which blights the lives of those in the south and west.

The maps from councils' campaign group 2M show that aircraft approaching the new runway will fly over Hampstead and Islington before beginning their descent over Paddington.

Planes taking off will rise over Ealing before using flightpaths over Wembley.

The councils have criticised the Government for assuming that future changes to aircraft design would make it possible to have more flights without extra noise.

They accused Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly of ignoring the findings of her own noise report which took six years to compile and found that more flights would add to the misery of people under the flightpath.

Ms Kelly unveiled the long-awaited consultation for the third runway and a sixth terminal at Heathrow yesterday. Ministers are to tear up long-standing agreements which allow residents near Heathrow and those under flightpaths a guaranteed respite from the noise.

The proposed third runway will also be longer than planned, potentially allowing for heavier, noisier aircraft which could bring more homes to the north of the airport into the belt where noise levels are 57 decibels or above.

Wandsworth council leader Edward Lister, representing the 2M group, said: "People living under the flightpath will be outraged by this lack of basic regard for their quality of life."

The consultation, which closes in February, claims there is a "strong case" for expanding the airport from 470,000 flights a year to more than 700,000. Expansion is conditional on there being no extra air and noise pollution but analysis published by the Government said the airport could meet limits over time.