Representation by Sarah Jane Thorpe
- Date submitted
- 21 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The main issues are an increase in noise disturbance in the skies, an increase in road traffic by airport users and workers, lack of infrastructure to accompany any proposed changes and an even more detrimental effect on the environment due to this increase in road and air traffic, both in terms of noise and fossil fuel pollution. I would like to voice my objection to any proposed expansion of Gatwick Airport. My quiet village in an area of AONB is already disturbed by an increase in the number of both inbound and outbound jets to and from Gatwick more especially during this Summer. The sky above my house in the Kentish village of Brenchley is almost permanently rumbling with this motorway in the sky and any desire for the peace and quiet of the countryside seems futile in the face of it. Sitting outside on my balcony overlooking fields and hedgerows and trying to appreciate birdsong and the hum of insects is disturbed constantly by jets flying overhead and the thought that this may become even more frequent than every 3-5 minutes is unbearable. I would ask that you at the very least consider varying your flight paths to give certain targeted rural areas a break please. With a view to saving our planet, the number of flights should be reduced rather than increased so an extra runway would be the last straw. I oppose the application for a Northern Runway at Gatwick Airport because the consequent increase in air traffic is bound to impact on my own rural village which already has more than enough aircraft passing overhead (one every 2-3 minutes night and day during the high season). The increase in aircraft disturbance will become even more unbearable than at present. This will also impact on the volume of freight and passenger traffic on the M25 and M23. The railway will also be unable to cope with any increase. The other obvious objection is the negative impact on the environment which the government is trying to address in view of rapidly advancing climate change. We should be reducing carbon emissions rather than increasing them.