Tervuren town council (Flemish Brabant) is protesting against the increased noise pollution created by planes flying over its territory since certain flightpaths, announced by the Wathelet plan implemented in 2014, were cancelled on April 1st, 2015. The elected communal college grouping N-VA, CD&V, and Groen, will introduce a motion at the next town council meeting on June 23rd. Following the decision by the lower court in Brussels on July 30th, 2014, high capacity aircraft using “the canal route” since February 2014, and planes using “the wide turn to the left” from runway 25R at Zaventem airport, changed their itinerary after the implementation of a moratorium by the Michel government on April 1st, 2015. The Flemish town of Tervuren reckons flights over its territory significantly increased since then.
The number of flights taking off over Tervuren went from 32 to 160 per day, according to local authorities who describe it as a “reconcentration” of 50% of take-offs. “The communal college received several complaints about the aircraft noise from residents. This cannot go on,” according to Alderman Mark Van Roy (Groen).
The motion introduced to the vote calls on the federal government to take urgent measures to establish a plan aiming for a fair distribution of noise pollution between all regions and to make that plan the new legislation. Until this legislation is implemented air traffic above Tervuren should go back to the situation in place between February 2014 and April 2015, reckons the college, which does not rule out legal action if need be.
(Source: Belga)
