Heathrow blight warning

West London residents are today warned they will suffer deafening noise from early morning onwards if a third runway is built at Heathrow.

A campaign group said the additional flights would affect more than 600,000 people, chiefly in the most expensive areas of the capital.

The stark prediction follows an announcement by airports operator BAA that a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow would increase its passenger numbers from 67million a year now to about 116million by 2030.

The Department for Transport estimates that 150,000 residents would be affected. But lobby group Hacan ClearSkies claims the figure is at least four times that and that noise from planes coming in to land would be heard at least half a mile either side of their flightpaths.

The group's chairman, John Stewart, warned: "The flightpath for the new runway will cut a swathe from Knightsbridge, Kensington High Street and Holland Park, through Hammersmith's Brook Green and Bedford Park in North Chiswick, before passing over Southall and Heston on its way to Heathrow.

"The noise will be continuous - a plane is expected to land on the new runway every 90 seconds from 6am to 11pm. At the moment, the Government claims there are no plans for the very early night flights to use the new runway, but it has offered no guarantees and promises along these lines have been broken before."

He said that for some residents the aircraft noise would be a new experience and "unlike people who were born under flightpaths, those who have it inflicted on them later can never blank it out".

Mr Stewart added: "Ironically, many of these people deliberately bought properties in these areas on the assumption that they would have long-term peace and quiet."

House prices are likely to be hit and, with the parlous state of the London housing market, owners could find their homes are already unsaleable without big price cuts.

Christine Shilling, spokeswoman for the No Third Runway Action Group, said: "If such an outrage were occurring in eastern Europe or the Third World there would be a public outcry."

The Government wants a second runway at Stansted built before a third runway at Heathrow, but key airlines such as British Airways want Heathrow expanded first.

Last month, an industry-led pressure group, Future Heathrow, was launched to lobby for early expansion of the west London airport.