Furious neighbours say their lives have been turned into a nightmare after an airport revamp has led to up to 50 jets a day taxiing before take off – at the bottom of her garden.
Alex and June Carr are among those suffering after a revamp of Southend Airport in Essex, with their attempts to get a bit of peace and quiet on their lawn ruined by the sight of huge passenger planes passing by just yards away.
They live in a row of houses that is right next to a new taxiing strip, which aircraft taxi along belching fumes and noise from 6.00am and 11.00pm every day.
Alex and June Carr in their garden which backs on to Southend Airport in Essex. The Carrs and their neighbours say an airport revamp has ruined their peace and quiet
Janet Marchant, 67, has lived in a bungalow – built by her grandfather in 1953 – next to Southend airport in Essex for seven years without a major problems.
But she says the constant noise and smell of fumes from the aircraft has made the lives of her and her neighbours a misery.
She said that the peace and quiet is shattered by a plane taxiing near her home every 20 minutes.
Retired newsagent Ms Marchant said: ‘You can’t have a conversation in the garden with anyone because you can’t hear them and when we are inside with the door closed we have to pause the TV until the plane has gone past.
‘We worry about our grandchildren coming around and the enjoyment of having people over for BBQs is ruined.
‘I love my garden and used to do a lot of gardening but now it is all spoiled with the noise and the smell.’
Ms Marchant also said she worried about the damage it will do to the value of her house: ‘You do worry if you have a house viewing and there’s a huge plane sat at the bottom of the garden.’
She added: ‘Every plane is legitimate but it’s a nuisance, is it morally right? I don’t know what to do, I have done everything.’
An easyJet plane passes along the runway as Mr and Mrs Carry enjoy their otherwise pleasant back garden
Ms Marchant says the problem began in November 2017 when the airport – which has stood in various forms since 1914 – rehabilitated its ‘Charlie Taxiway’ which is the route used for planes taking off from the eastward runway.
One morning Janet opened her curtains and said to her partner: ‘There’s a bloody great jet in our garden!’
Ms Marchant said: ‘The pollution and smell is awful and it’s really noisy.
‘My partner’s breathing is now not so good and my neighbours say they can’t sit outside or open their windows at certain times of the day.
‘Yesterday there were about 10 that went past and one was sat waiting for about 10 minutes before it took off and it was incredibly noisy.
‘It can’t be good for your health.
‘We aren’t against the airport but this is the most convenient and cheapest option for the airport.
Janet Marchant in her garden up the tail fin of a Ryanair plan (left) and the Marchands as a plane passes by
Ms Marchant recently received a letter from the airport telling her to stop complaining about the noise, she claims she was banned from making complaints.
‘Last month I was banned from making complaints online through their website but I am not going to stop, I have been down every avenue to stop this,’ she said.
In a statement, Southend Airport said Ms Marchant is suspended, not banned and ‘the decision was made by the ACC, not the airport.’
She said the planes are often held near her garden and that the back thrust when they set off again produces noise and fumes.
The problem is expected to get worse as the summer season approaches and the airport gets busier.
Over head image of Southend Airport with the row of houses circled at the bottom
A spokesman from Southend Airport said: ‘London Southend Airport is very proud of both its long heritage, having been an airport since 1914, and the important, positive role it plays in the community.
‘We appreciate that the Wells Avenue properties were built close to the Charlie Taxiway, and are currently engaging with those residents through quarterly meetings and are actively investigating active measures to reduce noise.
‘The airport has ambitious plans to grow, and will continue to work closely with the CAA to ensure the airport remains safe and environmentally responsible for all our stakeholders.
‘We have recorded and investigated over 430 individual complaints and found that in every case, the aircraft concerned was operating normally, legitimately and within the Airports operating framework.’
On the airport’s website, it is stated that there were concerns from local residents following a ‘misleading headline in a local newspaper’ asserting that the runway was being extended.
But the airport said that ‘isn’t true’ and they are carrying out necessary maintenance to the runway to make it safer by resurfacing it.