Airport consulting on noise level

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Stansted spokesman Andy Jefferson says the consultation is unconnected with expansion plans

An international airport in Essex is to consult residents about noise in a bid to reduce the nuisance significantly over the next five years.

Stansted Airport is asking for views to help create a noise reduction plan.

Local councils and MPs in the region are involved in the consultation which may lead the airport to ask operators to use quieter aircraft.

Airport expansion campaigners welcomed the step but said the only way to cut noise was to have fewer aircraft.

Stansted is the UK's third busiest airport and its managers will hold a series of briefings in local towns and villages affected by aircraft noise.

Environmental regulations

The consultation will continue until September and managers insisted it had nothing to do with expansion.

Stansted is required to publish a noise action plan as part of EU and UK environmental regulations.

Stewart Wingate, the airport's managing director, said: "We want to know what people think of our draft plans for the next five years before we finalise them for submission to the Government later in 2009.

"Our challenge is to manage the issue of aircraft noise in a pro-active, professional yet sensitive way as we understand it can be a real concern for our local community.

"We're also determined to take appropriate actions to reduce and mitigate against aircraft noise where we can."

The proposed plan will run for a five year period from 2010-2015 and aims to manage and, where possible, to reduce the impact of noise from the various aircraft types that operate at the airport.