A large number of families on flight paths around Gatwick are expected to receive grants to pay for double glazing in a bid to reduce noise levels.

BAA Gatwick has announced that around 1,000 homes will be subject to the grants, thought to be worth up to £3,000, reports the Argus.

"We have a commitment to introduce a residential noise-insulation grant scheme to those residents most affected," a spokesperson for BAA Gatwick said.

Brendon Sewill, the chairman of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, welcomed the decision, stating that he hoped it would extend to all windows and not just those in bedrooms.

"However, any scheme is insufficient because you cannot insulate a garden, so people can't go out of doors and you can't have any windows open," he added.

The new scheme is set to begin in the villages and towns around the Sussex airport in the new year.

A proposal for a second runway at Gatwick, which would have increased the number of planes using the airport, was recently ditched from government airport expansion plans.

Double glazing can be an effective method of stopping excess noise, either from airport flight paths or regular outdoor noise.

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Author:  Joanne McCabe