Braintree council leader Graham Butland has asked air traffic authorities to adjust the route of a flightpath which could see up to 153 planes a day taking off over the district.

A consultation to help ease congestion over Heathrow by switching flights from one route to another- effectively tripling the number flying over the district- closed earlier this month.

Daily departures from Stansted Airport currently leave in two directions, with about 58 flying south-east towards Dover and 51 taking off east over the Braintree district towards Clacton.

NATS Holdings, which manages the country’s air traffic, plans to virtually abandon the Dover route and move all flights onto the Clacton route.

Mr Butland has asked for the part of the route which flies over Great Notley to be moved further south to avoid the village, which could be one of the worst affected if the plans go ahead.

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