London Southend Airport to pay out £86k over runway extension noise

An airport has been ordered to pay compensation to the owners of neighbouring homes over noise caused by a runway extension.

Dozens of homeowners near London Southend Airport claimed the property values were diminished following the extension which opened in 2012.

The claims were denied by the airport.

But nine were upheld by the Upper Tribunal's Lands Chamber, which ordered the airport should pay out a total of £86,500.

The court in London considered 10 exemplar cases after 190 current and former owners of houses near the airport made claims under the Land Compensation Act 1973.

Claimants said the value of their homes had been reduced by "physical factors caused by the use of the runway extension, and in particular by the increased noise they experience from the larger aircraft which now take off and land".

The airport denied that the value of any of the lead properties had been "diminished by relevant physical factors resulting from the use of the runway extension and it values each of the claims at nil".

In its ruling, the tribunal said daytime noise data showed between 2011 and 2014 "what was already quite a noisy environment got noisier".

It said: "We are satisfied from the evidence of fact, the expert noise evidence and our site inspection that the use of the runway extension has caused depreciation in the value of most of the lead properties due to noise."

The tribunal ordered payments ranging from £4,000 to £17,000 to be made in respect of nine homes, and a claim for a 10th property was dismissed.

A spokesman for the airport said: "London Southend Airport respects the decision of the independent judicial tribunal.

"The airport takes its role in the community extremely seriously and will continue to engage with residents so that we can all enjoy a sustainable future founded on responsible airport operations and creating long-term job opportunities."

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