Brize Norton Hercules fleet 'too noisy'

03 October 2012

Royal Air Force Hercules transport aircraft based at RAF Brize Norton are breaking official Ministry of Defence guidelines on noise, according to an MoD report.

The Royal Air Force operates 24 C-130J and eight of the older C-130K transport aircraft, and the fleet was moved to the Oxfordshire base in July 2011 following the closure of RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire.

The number of noise complaints relating to Brize Norton rose from 23 in 2010 to 958 in the 12 months following the move, with the majority concerning the arrival of the Hercules aircraft. Some 436 complaints were noise-related, 293 concerned the ground running of engines and 87 concerned low flying.

Air mobility force commander Air Commodore Jon Ager admitted that the noise in some local villages had exceeded the MoD's guideline levels.

The MoD has apologised to residents and is working to 'mitigate' the effect on local villages, a spokesman said. Measures include towing aircraft around the base and only conducting ground engine runs on occasions when it is "essential to current military operations".

Noise monitoring equipment is also being installed on a permanent basis.

West Oxfordshire District councillor Mark Booty told the BBC that in nearby Black Bourton the noise of the aircraft amounted to a roar at times.

"I think it was a mistake by the RAF when they first did their planning in that they didn't actually plan for ground running noise," he said. "They did take off and landing noise, but not ground running.

"Since the report was commissioned they are taking steps. They've started towing these aircraft around the base and facing them in different directions.

"We recognise the importance of all the good work they are doing in relation to transport to Afghanistan."