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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/08/heathrow-school-adobe-huts-protect-pupils-hearing
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| Heathrow pays £1.8m for adobe huts to protect pupils' ears from aircraft noise | Heathrow pays £1.8m for adobe huts to protect pupils' ears from aircraft noise |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Heathrow is to pay for building earthquake-proof shelters in local school playgrounds to protect children from the rumble of overhead aircraft noise. | Heathrow is to pay for building earthquake-proof shelters in local school playgrounds to protect children from the rumble of overhead aircraft noise. |
| The £1.8m scheme follows the experience of a primary school in Hounslow that lies under one of the two main Heathrow flight paths. In April this year, it erected four of the "superadobe" domes, originally designed for earthquake and emergency zones in Asia and Africa. The striking white structures – made from coiled bags of earth with plaster walls – cut the noise of incoming aeroplanes by about 17 decibels. The original domes at Hounslow Heath infants school, where incoming planes pass 180 metres overhead every 90 seconds at peak times, can accommodate up to 30 young pupils. | The £1.8m scheme follows the experience of a primary school in Hounslow that lies under one of the two main Heathrow flight paths. In April this year, it erected four of the "superadobe" domes, originally designed for earthquake and emergency zones in Asia and Africa. The striking white structures – made from coiled bags of earth with plaster walls – cut the noise of incoming aeroplanes by about 17 decibels. The original domes at Hounslow Heath infants school, where incoming planes pass 180 metres overhead every 90 seconds at peak times, can accommodate up to 30 young pupils. |
| The airport is to pay 21 local schools for the cost of building the shelters to reduce noise for outdoor lessons or during breaktimes. Heathrow said the scheme, under which each school will receive £85,000, was part of its commitment to exploring innovative solutions to reduce the impact of aircraft noise. | The airport is to pay 21 local schools for the cost of building the shelters to reduce noise for outdoor lessons or during breaktimes. Heathrow said the scheme, under which each school will receive £85,000, was part of its commitment to exploring innovative solutions to reduce the impact of aircraft noise. |
| Kathryn Harper-Quinn, headteacher of Hounslow Heath, said the school had been delighted with the adobe buildings and welcomed Heathrow's new scheme. Since 2005, the airport has provided some noise insulation for schools, although local councils have argued that the money has not gone far enough to provide ventilation as well as soundproofing, leaving teachers to choose between being too hot or too noisy in summer. | Kathryn Harper-Quinn, headteacher of Hounslow Heath, said the school had been delighted with the adobe buildings and welcomed Heathrow's new scheme. Since 2005, the airport has provided some noise insulation for schools, although local councils have argued that the money has not gone far enough to provide ventilation as well as soundproofing, leaving teachers to choose between being too hot or too noisy in summer. |
| Matt Gorman, sustainability director at Heathrow, said: "We know that aircraft noise has an impact on local communities. This innovative scheme has already proved a great success in providing pupils with noise respite,and we hope all 21 schools will enjoy the buildings as much as Hounslow Heath has." | Matt Gorman, sustainability director at Heathrow, said: "We know that aircraft noise has an impact on local communities. This innovative scheme has already proved a great success in providing pupils with noise respite,and we hope all 21 schools will enjoy the buildings as much as Hounslow Heath has." |
| The shelters were designed originally by the Iranian architect Nader Khalili as a potential low-tech, low-cost building should man ever start building settlements on the moon. However, they were first used in large numbers for a refugee crisis after the 1990-91 Gulf war, before coming to Hounslow via other emergency zones in Africa and Asia. | The shelters were designed originally by the Iranian architect Nader Khalili as a potential low-tech, low-cost building should man ever start building settlements on the moon. However, they were first used in large numbers for a refugee crisis after the 1990-91 Gulf war, before coming to Hounslow via other emergency zones in Africa and Asia. |
| Julian Faulkner, who built the Hounslow Heath structures, had previously erected about 70 of the domes, which can withstand tremors of a magnitude up to 5.7, in regions of Nepal. | Julian Faulkner, who built the Hounslow Heath structures, had previously erected about 70 of the domes, which can withstand tremors of a magnitude up to 5.7, in regions of Nepal. |
| Aircraft noise has become an important factor in the political debate over the expansion of Heathrow: 750,000 local people are affected by the disturbance, according to European measures. The airport has set out a strategy to tackle aircraft noise, including quieter planes and operating procedures. Heathrow has also published its first league table of the noisiest airlines: Poland's LOT, Israel's El Al and Thai Airways are the worst offenders. | Aircraft noise has become an important factor in the political debate over the expansion of Heathrow: 750,000 local people are affected by the disturbance, according to European measures. The airport has set out a strategy to tackle aircraft noise, including quieter planes and operating procedures. Heathrow has also published its first league table of the noisiest airlines: Poland's LOT, Israel's El Al and Thai Airways are the worst offenders. |
| Plans submitted this year by Heathrow to the Davies commission, which is considering if and where airports in the south-east should be expanded, laid out options for up to three additional runways, potentially putting many new areas of west London under flight paths. | Plans submitted this year by Heathrow to the Davies commission, which is considering if and where airports in the south-east should be expanded, laid out options for up to three additional runways, potentially putting many new areas of west London under flight paths. |
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