Noise levels breached 184 times in five months Angry residents demand urgent action by BAA THE giant Emirates jet from Dubai flies so low over Clydebank you can almost pick out the braid on the captain's hat.
- Noise levels breached 184 times in five months
- Angry residents demand urgent action by BAA THE giant Emirates jet from Dubai flies so low over Clydebank you can almost pick out the braid on the captain's hat.
For around 15 to 20 seconds, all conversation under the flightpath at Whitecrook is rendered impossible.
The jet, with Emirates written in large letters on its underbelly, is followed a couple of minutes later by another, smaller plane. Then, a few minutes later, by another, then another.
In 40 minutes, some 10 planes cross noisily overhead.
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Dozens of planes, large and small, fly over Whitecrook every day and night as they home in on the runway at Glasgow Airport, across the Clyde.
For the casual visitor, it's not much of an inconvenience, but for the long-term residents it's something else altogether.
Double-glazing muffles the sound to an extent, but not if you're outdoors at the time, or in your garden.
Residents tell you about the time Jack McConnell was here a while back, opening factory units, and had to pause in his speech three times. Not even a First Minister and former schoolteacher can make himself heard above these jet engines.
Local people concede that planes have to fly over populated areas to reach the airport. What they are asking, is something more going to be done for them - especially if the fast-expanding airport ever needs a second runway?
"There's upwards of 100 flights a day, sometimes as many as 260," says Tam Brady, who has been campaigning on the issue for years, and who speaks for five local groups.
The immediate area includes a hospice, a secondary school and a primary school.
"The planes come in at five different angles, but they all make a lot of noise."
DATA collected by a West Dunbartonshire Council monitoring post at Whitecrook shows that, between June and October last year, there were 184 breaches of maximum noise levels - 36 during the day and 148 at night.
Some of these incidents reached 112 decibels, which is on a par with a rock concert.
Airlines can be fined up to £1000 for planes that are more than three decibels above permitted levels. The British Airports Authority has launched a hotline (0141 848 4644) for complaints.
It is understood the airport, whose own monitoring recorded just half-a-dozen breaches last year, has asked the council whether its monitoring meets International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.
The airport is also understood to think other factors, such as road traffic or construction work, may have a bearing on the council data.
But all this is of scant comfort to many locals, who've endured flightpath problems for years.
"The current noise levels mean we should be entitled to triple glazing and sound-proofing in our homes," says Tam, 63.
"Some people even say airport operator BAA should pay the council tax, or at least a part of it, for everyone in this area, though that would disappear if and when planes get quieter.
"There's even a school of thought that this area should be stripped of houses and given over to industrial use should a second runway ever be built."
In nearby John Knox Street - surely one of the noisiest in Scotland - Tam watches as the Emirates jet comes in low overhead.
"In the summer there's a flight every three minutes. If you're in your garden, conversation has to cease," he says.
"There's a wee girl in a youth group who's said the planes interrupt her concentration when she's trying to do her homework. I know of a lady who has to wear ear-plugs at night.
"I've asked lots of people how they've been affected, and there's only one who says he hasn't been - but he's deaf.
"There are fuel storage tanks in John Knox Street, right under the flightpath, and we're worried what would happen if an incoming plane hit one of them.
"The airport authority gave us secondary glazing about 25 years ago, but the increase in traffic has been immense since then, which is why we're asking BAA to address the problem."
As a FlyGlobespan jet passes overhead, making talk difficult for several seconds, Joe Henry, 51, who chairs the local tenants' and residents' group, says: "I'm in the direct landing path. I can read the numbers on the planes as they go over the garden.
"I've been phoning the airport since 1996 to complain, but they've totally ignored us.
"I'm sick of it. God knows what it will be like here if they ever build a second runway.
"We get big heavy jets coming in at 3am or 4am.
"The monitoring figures prove it's happening - until the council started its monitoring, we were just a voice in the wilderness."
HE adds: "It's hellish in summer. If you open your windows for fresh air, you suffer from the constant noise.
"But nothing has been done since the council installed its monitoring equipment here."
West Dunbartonshire MP John McFall has monitored the situation ever since the people of Whitecrook told him their lives were being blighted.
He has contacted Donal Dowds, managing director of BAA Scotland at Glasgow Airport, and planning manager Michael Dowds to urge them to persuade airlines to stick to the regulations, and impose penalties when they step out of line.
Mr McFall added: "The council has a report coming before it in the very near future.
"I've offered to meet residents and council officials involved with this to discuss this matter further once the report has been dealt with by local authority."
A spokesman for Glasgow Airport said: "We recognise that aircraft noise is an issue of concern to some residents, particularly in the Whitecrook area.
"We take the issue seriously and have a package of measures in place to minimise its impact on local communities.
"We monitor aircraft noise on an ongoing basis in line with international standards.
"We also offer lower charges for quieter aircraft and have banned chapter 2' aircraft, which are among the noisiest.
"We've recently established a noise inquiry line which allows residents to contact us with any concerns. "We are happy to meet West Dunbartonshire Council and others to discuss this issue."
The matter will be discussed at West Dunbartonshire Council next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, people in Whitecrook still curse the noise from the skies.
