COMPLAINTS by city residents about aircraft noise from Southampton Airport have shot up.

Winchester people are now complaining directly to the airport itself - the numbers complaining to Winchester City Council have actually fallen. The increase follows a change in flight patterns, undertaken by the airport as a trial.

Since changes were made to flight patterns in the spring, there has been an explosion in complaints from all areas, hitting 600 one month. Winchester civic chiefs believe the rise is mainly due to more public awareness rather than worsening noise pollution.

The airport used to receive just two complaints a month from people in the Winchester district. Since the trial, the number from all areas, including Southampton and Eastleigh, has increased to 600 a month.

Since April, airport bosses have ordered pilots to change flight patterns. For the first three months, planes were ordered to gain as much height as possible immediately after take-off, and to turn earlier on to approaches to the runway.

Then, for the second three months, they were asked to revert to existing flight patterns where they turn in later and don't go so high immediately after take-off. In the first phase, 17 complaints were received by the city council while planes were "reaching for the skies" compared to 45 complaints in the second phase. Council leader Sheila Campbell said: "There were more complaints when the trial went back to what it has always been. I can't help feeling that if people had not known of the trial it might have been a better test."

The city council wants better representation on the airport's consultative committee.

Councillors want an annual public meeting between the airport and local people, so residents can be kept abreast of developments and be able to question airport bosses.

City councillor Jim Wagner said: "The airport realises it has a whole new set of angry neighbours to the north."

Cllr John Higgins, who represents Highcliffe and St Giles Hill, called for the planes to be routed away from the city.

Jacqueline Davidson, 78, retired, of Christchurch Road, said: "I don't know if the planes are getting noisier or there's just more of them around, but the tranquillity of my garden always seems to be being spoiled by jet engines.

A spokesman for BAA Southampton said: "The trial was to investigate if alternative aircraft routing procedures can minimise the impact of our growing business on people living close by. Southampton Airport is always keen to listen to the views of local people."