Introducing the new Noise Protection Representative and Noise Protection Communications Team

Noise protection nears completion in time for the opening of BER / Noise protection will remain a key task in the years to come, even after BER goes into operation / 13,550 house and apartment owners have submitted their complete applications in time / 97.5 per cent of cost reimbursement agreements have already been sent out / The remaining 325 property owners (2.5 per cent) will receive their agreements within the next few weeks

Berlin Brandenburg Airport today introduced its new Noise Protection Representative and Noise Protection Communications Team to the public. "As with the building of the airport, noise protection is now nearing completion in time for the opening of the airport", said Airport CEO Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, when introducing the new noise protection employees. "We will help local residents to have reasonable noise protection installed as quickly, easily and unbureaucratically as possible. Noise protection will remain a key task, even in the years after BER goes into operation."

With immediate effect, 60-year-old Peter Lehmann will assume the new role of Noise Protection Representative. Reporting directly to Airport CEO Schwarz, he will be responsible for answering all questions relating to noise protection at Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Peter Lehmann can look back on decades of professional experience at airports, including as legal advisor at Fraport AG, as Managing Director of a regional airport and most recently at Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH, where he was responsible for legal matters. Besides being assigned technical noise protection staff, the new representative is also in charge of the new Noise Protection Communications Team, which has extensive experience in the region, and in working with airport neighbours.

The Noise Protection Communications Team comprises Andreas Lange, Winfried Lange and Christoph Truttmann. Urban planner Andreas Lange (55) will lead the team. Andreas has spent much of his last 10 years working for Berlin Airports securing the airport site and conducting negotiations with airport neighbours who had a claim to transference due to the particularly close proximity of their property to the airport. Business management graduate Winfried Lange (66) has worked for Berlin Airports for 42 years. During this time, he has overseen the resettlement of Diepensee and Kienberg and taken care of the compensatory measures in the Zülow lowlands. 49-year-old urban planner Christoph Truttmann has been working in the airport region for 10 years now. He was also involved in the resettlement of Diepensee and Kienberg, amongst other things. For the last two years, he has worked as Noise Protection Representative for Schönefeld.

"Thanks to our new team of noise protection staff, we are now better-equipped to deal with the sometimes difficult aspects of noise protection in a more people-oriented way", said Schwarz. "Our employees will place greater emphasis on face-to-face meetings with residents and on listening to their concerns."

16,000 property owners had filed an informal application for noise protection by the cut-off date, i.e. one year before the opening of the new airport. 13,500 of these property owners have meanwhile submitted all the necessary documentation and thus cleared the way for noise protection measures to be implemented in their apartment/house by the time BER goes into operation. 97.5 per cent of these property owners have already received individual cost reimbursement agreements and can start implementing the noise protection measures. The remaining 325 property owners (2.5 per cent) will receive their cost reimbursement agreements in the next few weeks. 4,000 property owners have consented to the cost reimbursement agreements and contracted a company to carry out the installation work. 1,200 building projects have been completed. "Noise protection staff will be tasked with assisting and advising citizens in all matters relating to noise protection. However, I would also like to make it clear that each and every resident must participate constructively in the application process and in recording the given situation, and contract someone themselves to carry out the building project", said Schwarz.

A total of around 25,500 BER neighbours are entitled to noise protection measures. Those who have not yet filed an application still have time: residents can submit an application for noise protection up to five years after BER Airport opens, i.e. until June 2017.

As regards public buildings such as kindergartens, schools or nursing homes, 14 of the approx. 50 eligible public buildings have already received noise protection or cost reimbursements. Noise protection measures are currently being implemented in 20 buildings. The most recent being the Humboldt Primary School in Eichwalde, for which Berlin Brandenburg Airport transferred €500,000 to the local authority – as the administrating and operating institution – after upgrading the building with noise control and ventilation systems. New windows with special ventilation systems were installed in rooms that qualified for noise protection.