Representation by Chris Sherwin
- Date submitted
- 3 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Against the backdrop of climate change that is broadly accepted as being caused by human activities, in particular the burning of fossil fuels, and the fact that these emissions are significantly more damaging when released at high altitude, it is totally unjustifiable to allow any expansion of air traffic. The current capacity of the airport already provides a huge number of flights every day. More specifically, I strongly oppose the new North Runway project for the following reasons: - We face a climate emergency, and a new runway would add a significant amount of carbon and greenhouse gases – Evidence CCC (2020) The Sixth Carbon Budget – Methodology Report. Available at: www.theccc.org.uk - Planning policy has been misinterpreted by the applicant as this is an applicant for a new runway which does not comply with the Government’s Aviation Strategy. Gatwick does not currently have 2 runways that it can operate concurrently today and as such this project is for a new runway. - Increase in aircraft noise – evidence of an additional 101,000 flights a year to a cap of 386,000. - Lack of affordable housing and amenities locally to enable workers to walk or cycle to work as the applicant proposes. - Low skilled jobs are offered with little job security due to the volatile nature of the airport’s leisure business. - Gatwick sits on a single main road, the M23 which is deemed an unsafe smart road. To add to the huge increase in freight, passengers and workers will cause a significant increase in congestion on residential roads and an inevitable decline in air quality. - The airport sits on the Brighton Main Line, which can’t be expanded. Gatwick seeks to add an unacceptable burden to the line with over 32m extra passengers. The Examining Authority needs to have the courage to envision a future without the many forms of damage this plan will produce and reject this application.