2.3.2009

30 Years of Investment to Reduce Noise

A £12m investment has been made by Birmingham Airport to insulate more than 7000 properties around the airport boundary. The milestone has been reached on the 30th anniversary of the Sound Insulation Scheme, and as the Airport records its smallest noise footprint ever.

Paul Kehoe, the CEO of Birmingham Airport, explained, “It’s a special year for Birmingham Airport. Not only are we celebrating our 70th Anniversary but it has also been 30 years since we started insulating homes around the site, and I’m very proud of the £12m commitment we’ve made so far.

“It is even more satisfying to know that new aircraft fleets and our good neighbour policies have led to the dramatic reduction in the number of people exposed to significant noise around the airport. In fact, compared to 1993, 75% less people are now affected, as the ‘noise footprint’ has continued to shrink - despite the Airport handling double the number of passengers and around a third more aircraft movements.”

The Sound Insulation Scheme offers high specification double glazing and secondary glazing to properties most affected by the Airport’s operations, and a £200k annual investment is made by the Airport to the scheme, plus an addition £50k a year to sound insulate local schools