A pot of £700m to pay for noise insulation if a third runway were built at Heathrow will only be shared between homes judged the worst affected by noise - with no homes south of Wraysbury included.

The number of homes eligible for offered compensation will depend on the final design of flight routes from an expanded Heathrow.

However residents in Bracknell and Ascot have said even if they were offered compensation it still wouldn’t be enough as they shouldn’t experience any aircraft noise at all. They claim noise from aircraft has dramatically increased since the end of a trial of flight paths over the area last November despite Heathrow saying aircraft have returned to pre-trial routes - residents say no amount of money would be enough as they can’t 'double glaze their gardens’.

Royal Borough Cllr David Hilton, who represents Ascot and Cheapside, has been a vocal campaigner against Heathrow expansion. He said: “Keep your money and keep your noise. Compensation means that something bad has happened. I do not see why we should suffer any aircraft noise when we didn’t in the past.

“They say 'we’ll give you money’ to double glaze our houses, but how do we double glaze our gardens?” The airport will increase the compensation available to homes affected by noise levels of 55decibels or more if a new runway is built - they currently offer the lowest amount of compensation out of all the European airports.

Ascot resident Kate Mann claims she has measured noise of nearly 85decibels from planes but said: “The compensation is merely a PR stunt. The fact they upped the amount of compensation the day before the Airports Commission consultation finished shows just how shallow Heathrow are. Even if we were offered it, it wouldn’t be enough.” The compensation announcement came just one day before the end of a consultation period for an Airports Commission report, due to published this Autumn, which will recommend either Heathrow or Gatwick for expansion. Only the Royal Borough has so far come out against plans for Heathrow expansion and have stated their support for increased capacity at Gatwick on economic grounds. Cllr George Bathurst, chairman of the aviation forum and cabinet member for policy and performance, said: “It is more practical, more politically deliverable and will give our residents and the UK more choice and competition. We urge the government and the Airports Commission to take into account the unacceptable noise our residents already suffer, particularly at night, and that if Heathrow was allowed to expand this would get dramatically worse.” Both Bracknell Forest and Wokingham Borough councils are waiting for the publication of the Commission’s report before taking a position, but each say it should consider the impact on infrastructure, noise levels and housing were Heathrow to expand. A rally against any expansion of Heathrow Airport will take place in London on Tuesday, March 3 at Church House Conference Centre in Deans Yard, Westminster, SW1P 3NZ, from 7pm.