Representation by Martin Sutherland
- Date submitted
- 20 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Dear sirs, I vehemently OPPOSE the expansion of Gatwick’s emergency runway into a second runway. I have 3 reasons!!! Firstly, I live in (Redacted) - just east of Gatwick between East Grinstead and Royal Tunbridge Wells - on the main A264 approach road to Gatwick, that feeds passengers from the Tunbridge Wells and surrounding areas. Presently the traffic flow is ‘lively’ all times of the day and with that comes the noise, pollution and the pot holes. A second runway will only vastly enhance all these issues. Secondly, our flat (which is located in an area of beautiful countryside) is directly below the Crowborough corridor flightpath before it banks left for the final approach. The continued drone of planes - night and day and they don’t give us a weekend off…plus the pollution is obvious. A second runway approval will, I imagine, be a visual ‘merry-go-round’ of jets with torturous side effects. Thirdly,(Redacted) at Hever Castle & Gardens, which is directly on the final approach to Gatwick. The Castle - the ‘Childhood home of Anne Boleyn’ - is a Grade 1 listed heritage attraction set within a Grade 1 listed park and garden which, in itself, is within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - a designation, I believe, that is only awarded to the very best British landscape. Hever Castle & Gardens is a magical place where visitors sit in quiet places of the estate to meditate and where couples choose to get married in it’s beautiful peaceful gardens. Any significant increase in flights overhead will vastly reduce the number of visitors to the Castle in time. The proposed expansion will mean a wider swathe of this protected countryside is blighted by aircraft and more effort should be made at reducing the impact of the airport on so much protected landscape. The short term blinkered view may be more oversees visitors, more construction, more jobs, more houses but the longer term stain on the environment, wildlife and communities will be its legacy. Hopefully you will take these points onboard. Thank you.