MORE than 20 years as chairman of Heathrow Association for the Control of Airport Noise (HACAN) are ending for John Stewart. 

He will be replaced in the new year by Paul Beckford, an experienced campaigner and transport expert who has successfully lobbied on a variety of transport and environmental policies over the past 15 years.  

Mr Beckford previously spent eight years as Director of Parliamentary Affairs at the transport consultancy Cogitamus Ltd and has served as Policy Director for the No Third Runway Coalition since 2017.

Mr Stewart said: “The timing is right. Post-Covid Heathrow’s focus will be on recovery from an all-time low and a third runway could be a decade or more away, if it ever obtains permission.

“Though there is still much work to be done in terms of aircraft noise and pollution, this ‘quieter’ period is a good time for my successor to take a fresh look at the problems which may lie ahead.”

He will continue to chair HACAN East, which largely covers communities impacted by London City Airport and will do more work for the UK Noise Association.