Interesting. Seems like a colossal waste of time then looking at the way the new RET is designed.
You mention medium traffic took longer to vacate - is this because they could not make the first RET and therefore rolled to the end to vacate? Google Earth has actually imagery of them building the taxiway and before the threshold was displaced and would seem to show adequate distance to make the exit? Maybe i'm not looking at it right...
Regarding noise - as a former resident of B Stortford, you might be onto something, however I always found the noise was a problem when 04 was in use for Departures, and the wind came from JUST the right direction. Many a few curses word were hurled in the direction of FedEx and GSS when hungover and still in bed!
Horgy