New aircraft flight path near Balsall Common
However, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) could have settled on a louder flight path which would have seen planes flying directly over Balsall Common rather than to the west of it.
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Hide AdThe CAA required the airport to change its flight paths after its runway was extended in 2009.
In the airport’s six-month trial which ended in May 2015, two flight paths close to Balsall Common were tested known as ‘Option 5’ and ‘Option 6’.
Option 5 saw planes fly right over the village while Option 6 saw planes turn right at the first safe opportunity, passing to the west.
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Hide AdNoise levels in Balsall Common were found to be reduced when Option 6 was used, and the nearby village of Barston saw little difference no matter what flight path was being used, meaning the CAA eventually chose Option 6 last week.
The CAA said: “There would be a discernible noise benefit to the communities of Balsall Common and Balsall Street East of utilising Option 6 instead of Option 5 for all southbound departures. There would be no discernible noise benefit to Barston from any aircraft flying any of the above options.”
The noise levels generated by the trial sparked a wave of complaints from Balsall Common residents, and a petition signed by 2,000 people against the noise was presented in Parliament by the MP for Meriden, Caroline Spelman.
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Hide AdCompromises were reached between the airport and campaigners, with the promise of a 4,000 ft ‘noise corridor.’ This means aircraft cannot divert from their bearing until they reach 4,000 ft in altitude, by which time they would have flown beyond Balsall Common.
A further trial testing the noise levels of non jet-powered planes using the Option 5 route is expected to start shortly.