Representation by John Adkins
- Date submitted
- 26 September 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I consider the consultation documentation produced for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Project to be highly contentious and misleading, and wholeheartedly object to the proposal. It hides from the reader that with a second runway in operation, the existing runway will be able to accept considerably more landings. Whilst presented as mainly a civil engineering exercise there is no admission in the proposal to the key adverse impacts of the plans on communities to the east of the airport which are overflown by the majority of arriving aircraft. Prevailing winds are westerly hence the majority of landings occur over our and neighbouring villages. These impacts are summarised as: 1. 70% Increase in Passenger numbers 2. 35% Increase in Aircraft movements over our heads, more noise pollution, more visual pollution 3. CO2 emissions up over 50%; Gatwick to generate 5.5% of all UK CO2 emissions by 2038! 4. Road and rail congestion 5. House price devaluation There are disingenuous claims about how new technology will make aircraft quieter and less polluting, but this will not occur during the lifetime of most residents. There are no emerging technologies which will lead to quieter, less polluting commercial aircraft (e.g. electric) being in operation in significant numbers in the next 25 years. Local residents and campaign groups object to what has been correctly called a “Motorway in the sky above our heads”. The airport has failed to demonstrate that there is a need for additional airport capacity that is consistent with government policy as set out in the Airports National Policy Statement policy. The government’s climate change advisers have made clear that there is no case for additional airport capacity in the UK and that any net expansion would have unacceptable climate change impacts. The airports proposals are unacceptable. There should be no expansion at Gatwick.