An independent ombudsman should be appointed to regulate aircraft noise at Heathrow and other airports.
The initiative is spelt out in a letter to The Guardian, whose signatories include Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative MP for Richmond Park and a leading opponent of expansion.
Other signatories include Tim Yeo, the chairman of the energy and climate change select committee, the Green MP Caroline Lucas, and directors of the Back Heathrow and Let Britain Fly campaigns, which support expansion.
They argue that an independent ombudsman could have “a fundamental role in further establishing trust and confidence, thus bringing about a fair and reasonable balance between increasing demand for flights and noise control”.
The coming together of the two sides over the most contentious issue facing the London hub in particular is also seen as a breakthrough in the political row over its future, the newspaper reported.
Advocates of the initiative believe it could break the logjam of mistrust between residents and the airline industry.
Business group London First suggested the appointment of an aircraft noise ombudsman in the autumn, and has been slowly building support from interested parties including the London assembly, Virgin Atlantic and the Stop Stansted Expansion campaign.
The idea, requiring primary legislation, was strongly supported in principle by the interim report of the Airports Commission into airport expansion, to which the government is due to respond in the next few weeks.
The purpose of the ombudsman would be to work collaboratively with all interested parties to report on noise in an open, transparent and intelligible manner, and “to deal with noise limitation problems fairly and sustainably”.
In a joint statement given to The Guardian, the airline industry and environmental campaigners said: “For most, who do not live near to a major airport, air travel is exclusively defined in terms of the considerable economic or social benefits which it brings; their experience of aircraft noise is an ambient sound somewhere up in the sky.
“On the other hand, for those who live near major airports, aircraft noise can be an imposition.
“The time has come to adopt a fresh approach, to restore trust and give them the confidence that their legitimate grievances are being addressed.”
The initiative comes as London First, Let Britain Fly and Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (Hacan) come together today (Tuesday) to hold a joint conference on aircraft noise.
Hacan chairman John Stewart welcomed the initiative as “the first time that organisations from all points of the spectrum in the debate on aircraft noise have co-operated in this way to find solutions.
“That debate has for many years been challenging, complex and, regrettably, fraught. We believe that the time has come for a fresh start to efforts to break the deadlock.”