Representation by Christina N M Coleman
- Date submitted
- 18 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I would like to object to the Gatwick expansion on the grounds that the carbon emissions are not in line with our legally binding targets. Aviation does not fully account for the CO2 that it emits and it is currently one of the fastest growing sectors. Gatwick is the wrong location and the expansion would have a hugely detrimental impact on what is already an overheated housing market. It would also have a huge and detrimental impact on rare and fragile rural environment. I strongly object to the expansion of Gatwick Airport. The UK currently does not account for the carbon emissions caused by international aviation and yet this is the sector that is seeing the greatest growth in emissions. The expansion of the airport is therefore not aligned with commitments to reach net zero by 2050 and should be declared illegal. I have great concern about the impact on the local area in terms of over-development and congestions to local transport networks. Furthermore, the areas underneath the flight paths already experience considerable noise, light and air pollution from the existing number of flights operating out of Gatwick, an increase would be utterly intolerable. We have fragile habitats, such as the Ashdown Forest Special Protection Area, the Special Area of Conservation, as well as Site of Specific Scientific Interest. This would be be detrimentally impacted both directly, by the increased air traffic, and indirectly by the increased development and traffic associated with the airport expansion. Gatwick is surrounded by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and this would be significantly adversely effected by the expansion. The economic arguments in favour of expansion are limited as the jobs created by the expansion come at the cost of the jobs who rely on the beauty and tranquility of the Sussex landscape, such as tourism and viticulture.