From being a bit of an ignored but annoying feature of the skies above the locality, the issue of aircraft flights over Walhamstow has suddenly taken off as a local issue. It used to be UFOs or somesuch that entertained us when we looked up.
Anyway, there will be a demo tomorrow outside the town hall organised by London City Airport Fight the Flights to coincide with Waltham Forest Council feverishly discussing legal action against neighbouring Newham Council over increased flights from London City Airport.
A motion proposed by Cllr Farooq Qureshi (LibDems) condemning the lack of consultation and the decision to approve the changes, also calls for the inevitable wide-ranging and no-doubt expensive 'investigation'. Not only does the motion call for Andrew Kilburn (council Chief Executive) to write to the mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, but the Mayor of London is to be written to, the 'air authorities' are to be asked to explain their role, and a faceless EU Commissioner called on to investigate the impact the expansion has had on residents.
Er, let me save them the inquiry as its pretty obvious actually: noise (and allegedly pollution) have predicatably risen over Waltham Forest as a result of the expansion of London City Airport.
I have no idea whether the motion will make blind bit of difference even if it is passed, but if it is I am not sure I am looking forward to Boris 'Clean Air' Johnson and the EU Commissioner (how will I know who he is?) beating a path to my door to seek my as-yet-unasked-for views.