The sound of silence? We want your views about aircraft noise.

“During the lockdown many people have observed nature returning to towns and villages, from foxes to pheasants,” says CPRE Sussex Director, Kia Trainor. “The sound of birdsong is becoming more familiar than the sound of traffic and aircraft noise. We think that this is a golden opportunity for people to consider the impact of noise on their lives”.

“Peace and tranquillity are normally so rare in our busy lives,” adds CPRE Sussex Trustee, Sally Pavey. “I’m having a glimpse of what life was like before aircraft noise, and it is a revelation. We want a better understanding of how aircraft noise affects people on a day to day basis and whether they would accept a flight path put over their home.”

Earlier this year the Network Aviation Group of CPRE released a report on Flight blight the environmental and social costs of flight expansion showing the need for better mapping of aircraft noise and more research to understand the impact of aircraft noise on health. The group are now undertaking a Noise Attitudes Survey to find out more about how aircraft noise affects people.

“Although communities face uncertainty about what the future holds, the government are not delaying plans for the modernisation of airspace,” says Mrs Pavey. “This could see many rural areas impacted for the very first time by aircraft noise as policy seeks to limit the number of people impacted so avoiding built up areas.

“The process is well underway with the Civil Aviation Authority conducting the CAP 1887 consultation on the masterplan of airspace modernisation, both south and north (Future Airspace Strategy Implementation South and North – FASIS and FASIN) during lockdown.”

The new survey is open to everyone and can be found at:  www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/cpreaviation  It will be open until 1st June 2020.