Representation by Ceri Margaret Blower
- Date submitted
- 25 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
This application is incompatible with the government's emissions targets - net zero by 2050. Aviation is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions, not to mention the increased road traffic that would accompany airport expansion. It sends out all the wrong messages when we should be doing more to reduce our carbon footprint. The infrastructure cannot cope with the number of flights/passengers as it is. There are regularly issues with rail, baggage handlers, air traffic control, flight staff shortages etc etc. The airport lurches from one crisis to the next. It could not cope with increased numbers. Airport expansion in the South East is ludicrous when it is already the busiest area in the country. Noise pollution is a real issue around here. At the busiest times, like mornings and evenings, flights can be going over every two minutes. After living in the area for 30 years there has not been significant noise reduction from planes despite assurances from the airlines that they are making efforts to reduce noise. There is also no curfew at Gatwick which means that frequently, particularly in summer, flights can go over in the middle of the night. It is completely unreasonable to expect people in an already noisy area to endure even more flights going over.