Plane crazy – Dalgety Bay folk fear impact of flight path changes

consultation: Residents urged to have their say amid worries over noise

Dalgety Bay residents fear proposed changes to Edinburgh Airport’s flight paths will mean more aircraft flying closer to their homes.

While one preferred route under the plans will take jets further away from the town, another will mean more aircraft noise for the community.

Residents are concerned the proposed route, referred to as D0 in the airport’s consultation document, will mean flights passing close to Dalgety Bay on a daily basis.

Roy Green, secretary of Dalgety Bay and Hillend Community Council, said: “Flights are going to go up the middle of the Forth but some aircraft will be turning wider and coming close to the southern tip of Dalgety Bay.

“The crux of it is we are going to get aircraft flying past us every day, not just when there’s an east wind.

“They’re trying to go up the Forth more, which is obviously going to have less impact for everybody, but in doing that it will mean aircraft flying closer to Dalgety Bay.”

A public meeting was held in the town to allow representatives from Edinburgh Airport to discuss the plans with the community.

It coincides with a second round of consultation on the changes.

A local resident who attended the meeting said: “The proposed new flight paths would lead to a totally unacceptable impact on the community in Dalgety Bay.

“To be subjected to aircraft noise 365 days a year for over 18 hours a day would ruin our quality of life here. There would be no respite.

“I also have major concerns over the impacts of the noise from an extra 15,000 flights a year on my child’s school and at the local facilities such as the library where people need a bit of peace.

“I urge as many people to respond to the consultation as this is our only chance to have our say.”

Edinburgh Airport reminded residents to respond to the consultation before it closes on April 30.

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “This is a consultation. Information is out there and we’re visiting communities with the purpose of finding out their views on our proposals.

“We will take this feedback away and build it into our final decisions.

“It is important in this last month of the consultation that everybody who has a view expresses it either via the website www.letsgofurther.com or the freepost address.”

The crux of it is we are going to get aircraft flying past us every day, not just when there’s an east wind. ROY GREEN, SECRETARY OF DALGETY BAY AND HILLEND COMMUNITY COUNCIL