Sleeping disturbed as Heathrow decision looms
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
05/09/2008
The credit crunch is starting to bite into people’s sleeping patterns according to new research.
Longer working hours and stress over financial worries have resulted in Britons going to bed increasingly late, say sleeping experts Crampex. The average British adult gets into bed at 11.04pm on a week night, which is more than 15 minutes later than this time last year.
The findings also showed that even when we do finally get to bed, 79 per cent of Brits find it hard to get to sleep. Half say their lack of sleep has an effect on the quality of their work, with 53 per cent of those saying they find it hard to concentrate on their job.
The news comes before the Transport Secretary’s ruling on Heathrow expansion. The decision, which is expected before the end of the year, could affect flights between 11pm and 7am.
The Department for Transport (DfT) hopes to allow 222,000 additional flights at Heathrow every year by adding a third runway and relaxing flying restrictions.
Following the last consultation the DfT agreed to keep the cap on night flights to 5,800 a year, until 2012. However, this limit only applies between 11:30pm - 6:00am and the council is concerned that, by making more use of the existing runways and adding a third, the number of flights will spiral upwards while residents are trying to sleep.
“The misery caused by sleep loss and the negative effect on people’s health cannot be underestimated,” says Nick Botterill, H&F Council Cabinet Member for Environment. “Increasing the number of night flights will mean more noise and worse air quality. We cannot allow the government to get this decision wrong.”
If the DfT gets its way more planes are likely to fly over the borough and the council says this will inevitably have implications for people's sleep patterns. The revelation will particularly anger residents in Fulham as most of the early morning flights into Heathrow currently fly over the south of the borough on their final approach to the airport. However, the council says the extra night flights will also trouble previously unaffected parts of the borough, including Hammersmith.
Cllr Botterill added: “This research shows that some people are already struggling to get a good night’s rest. Residents in west London are entitled to a decent night’s sleep and we are lobbying hard for expansion plans at Heathrow to be shelved indefinitely.”
H&F Council is part of the 2M Group of local authorities which campaigns against uncontrolled Heathrow expansion. For more information visit www.2MGroup.org.uk
