Exchanging aircraft noise information with local communities around airports: 'the devil is in the detail'!

摘要

People who live near major European Airports and complain about aircraft noise often believe that they are being treated unfairly by the authorities and generally have no interest in, or understanding of, the standard methods of representing aircraft noise by using long time average sound level aircraft noise contours. In many cases, the standard methods of communicating with the public are too complicated, over-technical, and do not even focus on information which the public actually want or need to know. This paper draws upon the results of recent and mainly qualitative research to discuss improved noise communication strategies, which focus on providing information that the public are actually interested in; rather than on information that the authorities choose to provide for them. The preferred strategy should be to describe, explain and where appropriate, justify, so that residents either understand management action being taken on their behalf, or are at least confident that appropriate and balanced action has been and is being taken. The all-too-prevalent current attitude that the regulator knows best has not helped the increasing level of mis-trust, which has built up in many surrounding communities.