Category: Wokingham and West Berkshire Issues

Dr Lee, MP for Bracknell, and I met with representatives of Heathrow airport on Wednesday 18th March to discuss airport noise.

We had asked for the meeting on discovering that changes were made to flight routes last year without telling the local community. Readers of this site will know that I and others challenged the airport when it was conducting experiments with new routes last autumn. The airport accepted that these trial routes were thought too noisy by many of us and ended the trials early. However, noise levels still seemed different. Heathrow denied there had been any other changes.

They now inform us that NATs did indeed make operational changes last year which concentrate more flights over Bracknell and Wokingham during easterly operations. The airport apologised again, but said they did not know of this change. Apparently it is an operational change for safety reasons which NATs may do without consultation.

Dr Lee and I pressed the airport to do more to control noise. I raised the following issues

1. Can very early arrivals be delayed to a more civilised hour ? A first flight can come at 4.30am, though outbound flights start at 6am.

2.Can airlines be encouraged or made to use quieter planes for the early or late flights?

3. Can plans be advanced to get planes to climb higher sooner, or descend on steeper paths, to cut noise further from the airport?

4. Can more incentives be introduced to encourage use of quieter planes by airlines?

5. What action is taken to deal with poor flying by the occasional pilot who uses too much thrust/airbraking/banking and turning in a way which increases noise?

I was told work was going on with all of these matters. I asked for a report on what we should expect by way of improvement.

I held a meeting with Brandon Lewis MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, in the Commons. His Parliamentary Private Secretary was also present. It was one of many such meetings I hold in Parliament with Ministers  to put Wokingham and West Berkshire’s  case to the government.

I wanted to bring the Minister up to date with Wokingham constituency housing, planning and infrastructure issues. I reminded him of the projects which need financial help to ensure as new homes are built the necessary facilities including roads, schools and other public services are available. The government is backing the Shinfield and Arborfield by pass schemes, and the new primary schools. Discussion centred around the next set of schemes the extra development requires, including Wokingham roads.

I also wanted to stress again  that as we have  an up to date local plan which makes provision for substantial new housing, the Council does expect Planning Inspectors to respect local views as expressed in the Plan when considering applications that do not conform with local policy.

The Minister was generally supportive of what Wokingham is trying to do, and agreed about the need to put in sufficient infrastructure before new homes. I have told Councillors and the Chief Executive of Wokingham that as always I am happy to take up specific projects or requirements which need a Ministerial response.

I have been pressing the case of first time homebuyers, who find our local house prices dear. The Conservatives promised a discount on  homes for first time buyers under a new scheme which will cut the costs for developers as long as they pass on the advantage to the buyers.

Now the  budget adds help with saving for a deposit. For every £200 of deposit saved the  government will top it up with £50, up to a total of £3000 on £12000 saved. That should take some of the waiting out of wanting and help people to save more quickly for the deposit.

As readers will know, I made strong representations about the trial of new routes for planes to and from Heathrow last autumn. There was more noise over Wokingham, and as a result of the pressure I and others applied they ceased the trials early on 12 November.

There still seemed to be more noise after the trials ended in some places. When I raised this with the airport they could only think that there were more easterly winds which can cause more noise for us. Following further complaints, I have now been told that NATS did make a further change to operations last year without consulting or telling us. It coincided with the trials of new routes, but has remained in place after the end of the trials.

What they have done is concentrated more flights within a 7 mile wide corridor instead of the 13 mile wide corridor they used to allow, increasing the number of flights over part of the Wokingham constituency including Wokingham town. Heathrow Airport have now apologised for not telling us about this change, but say they did not know this was happening, a statement confirmed by NATS.

The bad news is NATS have the power to make this change without consulting us, and are currently determined not to switch back to the previous pattern of flights. I will take this matter up directly with NATS, now that we know a change was made which has worsened the aircraft noise for some residents. NATs argue that overall fewer people are affected by aircraft noise, and argue their new routes are safer as well.

Copies of the Letters:

0152 – John Redwood MP, Wokingham – 2015-03-17

COMPTON before after maps

COMPTON FINAL QA

Rt Hon John Redwood – 170315

My latest discussion with the Highways Agency is to get them to extend the areas which will get some noise protection from the introduction of additional barriers along the M4. I have also asked the Council to reconsider the extent of barriers along the A329M.

On the recent maps I have been shown the additional barriers are limited to the M4 west of Winnersh, so I am asking for more protection.

I have asked Wokingham Borough to have an other look at plans to improve flood defences. Now that the Council is pressing on with major new developments at Shinfield and in Wokingham there is more need to ensure better management of surface water and heavy rainfall. Run off will be speeded up by putting more of the area under concrete and tarmac.

The Council has promised plans to reduce flood risk on the A327 into Shinfield from Arborfield, and to look at ways o cutting flood risk at the Loddon roundabout. The extra homes in north and south Wokingham and in Shinfield also require better water management.

Yesterday a group of MPs held a backbench debate on fair funding for schools. We have been pressing the government to ensure that every school receives a reasonable amount per pupil, as under the previous administration the gap between the best funded and the worst funded schools became very large.
I proposed to the Minister that for the next step the government should set a limit on how large the gap can be between the best and worst funded. So far this Coalition government has given some extra money to the worst funded schools. I wish to see Wokingham schools benefit from the new funding formula we have been promised for the next Parliament.

The Borough Council has come up with new proposals for Elms Field. Their previous plans envisaged too much building on this green space, and recommended too much interference with the green part that did remain. This time they have expended the green area, reduced the amount of building, and done less to the field.
I made various representations to the Council about the need to preserve a decent green space in this area. I also accepted that there could be building on the brownfield part of the site where the old offices had been removed and where there were tarmac areas. I recommend that constituents interested in this part of Wokingham should go onto the Council site and see if they like this new version. These proposals are in their turn subject to consultation and public response. The Council website tells you how to make representations if you have a view to express.

As someone who has pressed for a better deal for motorists, and better access to High Streets, I thought this announcement would be of interest:

“Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, has announced changes to parking rules which will benefit drivers, high streets and local authorities.
Under Labour parking rules made law-abiding motorists feel like criminals, and caused enormous damage to shops and businesses.

That’s why we are putting common sense back into parking through a range of measures, including giving drivers 10 minutes’ extra time after a parking ticket runs out before they can be hit with a fine. We are also issuing new guidance banning councils from using parking to generate a profit, and introducing new restrictions on the use of CCTV cars issuing automatic fines.

We are ending the war on drivers who simply want to go about their daily business. This work is part of our long-term economic plan that is helping to transform high streets up and down the country so that once again they become vibrant centres of communities which people want to visit and enjoy. ”

A number of constituents have asked me to take up cases concerning EL compensation. I am well aware that some are not happy with the level of pay outs offered by the government.

The Minister has recently brought us up to date with progress. 896,367 policyholders have now received an aggregate amount of compensation in excess of £1 billion. There may be as many as 142,000 remaining policyholders entitled to some compensation but they have not yet made their whereabouts known to the Scheme administrators, or the payments office has not been able to validate their claim.

Anyone who thinks they are entitled to compensation who has not received their cash should contact the scheme on 033 0200 150.