BAA starts consultation on Heathrow noise and blight

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Airport operator sets out compensation terms for residents

BAA Heathrow is asking for views on two public consultation papers on noise and property value protection affecting residents living close to the airport.

In its White Paper published in December last year, the Government asked airports to bring forward proposals for mitigating and compensating local residents worst affected by noise, and on protecting people from potential property blight as a result of a possible third runway.

The two separate consultation papers therefore cover:

Protecting against noise - how BAA should mitigate, primarily through insulation, the impact of existing levels of noise on sensitive buildings such as schools around the airport; and, how BAA should assist homeowners closest to the airport currently exposed to high levels of daytime noise to relocate, if they wish to;

Protecting against blight – how BAA should protect the value of properties within or closest to an extended airport boundary if a third runway at Heathrow were to be built.

BAA is sending copies of the consultations to local people affected, councils, pressure groups and other interested organisations. Responses are requested by 21 December this year.

BAA Heathrow Executive Chairman, Janis Kong, said,"The noise proposals published today extend the offer of insulation to up to 40 local schools in a wider Heathrow area, and also outline fair packages of financial assistance to homeowners currently worst affected by noise.

"We also want to do the right thing for communities potentially affected by property blight in the area immediately north of the airport highlighted for possible future expansion. It will be some years before we know whether a third runway will be approved by government, subject to stringent environmental limits being met, and we do not wish local residents to be disadvantaged in the mean time.

The Protecting against noise consultation proposes that BAA will provide noise insulation for schools within Heathrow's 63 decibel noise contour. It also proposes that BAA will offer assistance with relocation for eligible property owners within the 69 decibel noise contour who want to move. The assistance would comprise 1.5% of the completion sale price of the affected property, plus a lump sum of £2,500, subject to a maximum cap of £10,000.

The Protecting against blight consultation proposes that BAA offers a legally-binding agreement, the 'Property Market Support Bond', to eligible property-owners within an area that would be needed for development. If Heathrow applied for planning permission for a new runway, BAA would buy the property at an index-linked, unblighted price. BAA would also make an extra 10% payment once planning permission was granted.

It also proposes that BAA offers a legally-binding agreement, the Home Owner Support Scheme, to offer to buy eligible properties within the 66-decibel noise contour of a new runway, at an index-linked, unblighted price, once planning permission is granted. In addition, for homeowners who wished to move early and whose property value had dropped by 15% or more, BAA would offer to buy the property at an index-linked, unblighted price, subject to certain conditions.

For homeowners who wished to move early but whose property values had fallen by less than 15%, BAA would pay a contribution of 1% of the sale price, plus the equivalent of the stamp duty payable on the house being sold, up to a maximum of 5% of the sale price.

October 1, 2004