Representation by Penshurst Parish council (Penshurst Parish council )
- Date submitted
- 16 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Noise Expansion of Gatwick would significantly increase aircraft noise in the area. The noise envelope proposals Gatwick has proposed are not consistent with government policy and CAA guidance and are wholly one-sided. They should be substantially revised. Night flights A ban on night flights should be a condition of any expansion at Gatwick. The airport should also be required to set out a comprehensive package of measures to incentivise the use of the quietest aircraft at night outside the hours of a ban. Climate change and emissions Expansion on the scale proposed would increase very substantially the CO2 emissions and other climate effects associated with Gatwick’s operations and flights. There are currently no proven technologies for reducing aviation emissions at scale. Expansion of Gatwick would therefore have a material impact on the UK’s ability to meet its carbon reduction targets. Road traffic Expansion would increase road congestion around Gatwick very substantially, with serious adverse consequences for local communities and businesses. Need Gatwick’s overall case does not comply with the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS) which requires airports (other than Heathrow) that are seeking to expand to demonstrate sufficient need for their proposals, additional to (or different from) the need which would be met by the provision of a Northwest Runway at Heathrow. Economic case The economic benefits of expanding Gatwick have been overstated by the applicant, and the economic and environmental costs have been ignored and/or understated. The economic benefits of air transport growth are subject to diminishing returns. In an already highly connected economy such as the UK, additional economic benefits from further expanding air transport are largely dependent on net inbound tourism and business travel growth, both of which are absent in the UK today. When the relevant scheme costs, benefits, and the long-term societal risks are taken into account, the scheme’s overall balance is negative and entails unreasonable levels of risk to local, national and international wellbeing. In addition, the proposed scheme will incentivise UK residents to spend larger amounts of cash overseas, costing jobs and economic activity at home. This would penalise non-south east regions of the UK, which operate a very significant travel spending deficit, contradicting the government’s levelling-up agenda. Conditions Gatwick’s proposed expansion should be rejected. However, if it is approved it should be subject to strict conditions. Specifically, the airport should not be permitted to grow or expand unless and until it is able to demonstrate that it can do so whilst at the same time reducing in a proportionate and balanced way all adverse environmental, noise, traffic and other impacts of any growth. Most specifically growth should be conditional on independently monitored and simultaneous reductions in both emissions associated with Gatwick flights (including the non-CO2 climate change effects of such flights) and noise. Reduction should