Representation by The Davies Family (The Davies Family)
- Date submitted
- 17 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
We have lived in this house for over 30 years. When we first came here, whilst we knew that the approach flightpath to Gatwick Airport passed overhead in the general area of Penshurst, we also knew that the aeroplanes were fairly evenly distributed over a wide swathe, so that there was a degree of fairness about the distribution of aeroplanes and the consequent disruption to sleep, health and noise experienced by people living under the flightpath. In other words, all of us suffered, but not all of the time. And then, a few years ago, the approach flightpath to Gatwick Airport was changed by narrowing the approach swathe, and pushing it further east towards Penshurst. This has resulted in aeroplanes passing either directly over, or almost over our house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the only respite being when the wind direction goes round to the east for a time, the predominant wind direction being generally from the west. In other words, now a few of us suffer, most of the time. And what we constantly have to put up with is noise, loss of sleep, the smell of aviation exhaust and fuel, and the frequency of flights averaging 150 per day, (Redacted). And this is based on only one swathe of arrivals to Gatwick Airport, using only one runway at Gatwick Airport. Unless the swathes are altered to grant more even and fair arrival distribution, and the times during which those swathes are permitted to be used overnight are modified, if permission is granted for another runway, the situation cannot improve.