Representation by Margaret Shelley
- Date submitted
- 22 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I object to this proposal. My objections are as follows: 1. Government policy has been misinterpreted by the applicant. This application would require a new runway to be built. To use the existing emergency runway would not be possible as it is too close to the main runway for them to be used together. A new runway would need to be built that is 12 metres further away from the main runway than the current emergency runway. This would also affect some current airport buildings eg. The fire station. 2. Increase in aircraft noise. This will happen as the applicant proposes an addition 101,000 flights a year. 3. There is already a lack of affordable housing in the area & lack of amenities. Workers would not be able to live locally. Even if there was available housing they would not be able to afford to live locally 4. Current staff vacancies, little job security & poor wages. The airport currently lists a significant number of job vacancies. If it cannot employ sufficient staff at its current level of flights/passengers, how will it employ sufficient for increased flight numbers & passengers. 5. Transport access. The main traffic route to/from Gatwick is the M23. This is deemed an unsafe smart road & is currently very busy. Increased numbers of freight, passengers & workers will cause other local roads to become congested. It would also cause a decline in air quality. There is no funding in the proposal for improving the local road network. The Gatwick train terminal is on the Brighton Main Line, this cannot be expanded. 6. Lastly & really importantly, Climate Change. Additional flights (at any airport) will add a significant amount of carbon & greenhouse gases to an already critical climate emergency.