Noise pollution fears over proposed Gatwick expansion
CEL-633 Sound Level Meter
Class 2 with Logging
Environmental - from Casella
Bosses at Gatwick Airport might require noise monitoring equipment after it was revealed that work has begun on detailed plans for a second runway.
A second runway at Gatwick Airport may be years away yet, but that has not stopped bosses at the transport hub beginning work on detailed plans for its expansion.
And according to the East Grinstead Courier and Observer, they could have to factor in some control measures after locals voiced fears over noise pollution in the area.
A 1979 agreement prohibits work beginning on an extra runway before 2019, but it is believed plans are already being drawn up to locate an extra landing strip on the area north of Langley Green in Crawley, which is located to the south of the airport.
This would effectively allow the site to double its capacity - allowing it to cater for 70 million passengers per year.
While the local area would receive a boost in the form of thousands of new jobs being created, residents are understandably concerned about the upheaval such a grand expansion could cause.
The newspaper was quick to point this out, but Gatwick chief financial officer Nick Dunn assured readers that he and his colleagues would be considerate when planning the improvements.
Noise monitoring equipment can be instrumental in planning preparations - check out the range Casella noise monitoring equipment on Frontline Safety's website.
"[The proposed site is] not owned by Gatwick, but has been identified as a prospective site for expansion," he told the news provider.
"We've been here for a number of years and we are quite tuned in and considerate about the impact on the locality.
"And for the local community there needs to be a balance with the economic benefits brought by a business, and we have 20,000 people working on our campus."
Airport expansions have a reputation for controversy, with the Heathrow Airport saga having dragged on for years.
Fears over premature deaths from exposure to extra fumes in the London area have seen plans for a third runway continually put back over a number of years.
As recently as this month, BBC News reported that another option might be to build another airport in the Thames Estuary, where fumes are more likely to blow out to sea and dissipate.
Written by Chris Malone
