Representation by Neville Side
- Date submitted
- 25 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Key points are: Gatwick staffing resources currently unable to cope with one runway, thereby leading to numerous flight cancellations. A second runway will exacerbate this problem. Numerous flights leave Gatwick with plenty of spare seating capacity. Attending to this issue will negate the need for more planes. We are living in a climate crisis and have a duty to our children to protect the planet not pollute it further with more high polluting planes. Road infrastructure to Gatwick is inadequate to cope with a second runway. Greater traffic problems as a result of a second runway will lead to more air pollution. Parking infrastructure around Gatwick is insufficient to cope with existing use of Gatwick. Doubling the number of passengers will exacerbate this problem. Existing public transport infrastructure at Gatwick airport will be unable to cope with increased passenger numbers as a result of a second runway. Numerous planes landing at Gatwick already flout existing flight regulations by flying below permitted minimum height levels on the flight path into Gatwick. This causes significant noise pollution and contributes to mental health issues for those living on the flight path. Much of the land beneath the flight path is categorised an Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and/or Green Belt land with draconian planning regulations and constraints, yet the same such regulations have not been applied or considered with regard to the impact on this land of doubling the number of planes flying at low levels over this land on the flight path into Gatwick. Numerous listed properties and places of interest situated on the proposed flight path and which attract and rely upon the trade of tourists will be negatively impacted by the noise pollution caused by a second runway. The south east has the highest proportionate number of residential properties with listed status and, due to planning constraints, the owners of these properties are unable to protect themselves from the noise pollution of overhead plane traffic by installing double glazing as it may impact upon the character of these properties, yet no such consideration is given to doubling the amount of air traffic flying immediately overhead these properties. No account taken of environmental considerations of developing and building a second runway. It is just absurd.