Tuesday 20 January 2009

Noise pollution

Yesterday I was woken up at 3.15 a.m. by a jumbo jet passing over. Ten minutes later there was the wail of a siren, though why it is necessary to use a siren at a time when the streets are largely empty is a mystery. And at 3.50 am I was still awake when a car horn was blown a few times. Probably a taxi driver arriving to collect a passenger. It's unlawful to use a car horn after 11 pm in a residential area but I very much doubt if the police even prosecute once person a year in Greater London for this offence.

As for aircraft noise. Things are going to get worse, because

PLANS have been drawn up to add an extra 7,500 night flights a year over London once Heathrow's third runway is built.