Representation by Jonathan Fitz Inman Cook
- Date submitted
- 25 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Around 100,000 more flights and passenger numbers doubling to 75,000,000 . Gatwick the size of Heathrow? 1 Carbon Emissions Carbon and CO2 emissions would increase at an unacceptable rate. COP 26 hosted by the UK made solemn promises. Airport Expansion is contrary to our nation’s agreement Jet Zero is convenient ‘Green Washing’ and SAF is unsustainable See below: The Royal Society in a Report in it’s February 23 journal estimates: “that meeting existing UK aviation demand entirely with energy crops would require around half of UK agricultural land. While producing sufficient green hydrogen fuel would require 2.4 – 3.4 times the UK’s 2020 renewable (wind and solar) electricity generation” 2 Government Policy The choice by Government was for expansion at Heathrow not for a second runway and expansion at Gatwick as well. 3 Noise Pollution Already some days for us in the garden can be ruined by hours of ‘overflight’ often at low altitude only 90 seconds apart. Double this up and it will be bedlam. The only mitigation, as with night flights, is if there is an East Wind 4 Noise from Night Flights We are regularly writing to our MP, Tom Tugendhat as we are constantly woken up at night by aircraft turning near or over our village; some planes already on the ILS ‘Final Approach’ line from the direction of Tonbridge. As a generalisation, this can be around midnight, 12.30; 1.30; 2.30 and even 3.30am. On occasions at all four times. Broken sleep and sleep loss is a health hazard for us all. We can’t be alone in suffering this as a family A total ban on night flights between 10.30pm and 7.00am is long overdue 5 Infrastructure: (Roads) Passenger numbers to rival Heathrow? So there will surely be massive increase in traffic on surrounding local roads. The M23, now a so -called ‘Smart Motorway’ is considered more dangerous by a majority of The British public without it’s hard shoulder and will undoubtedly struggle with further congestion 6 Unofficial Car Parking There is already a real congestion problem with private car parking companies that have sprung up in the last two decades which has added to congestion on surrounding roads. Now added to this there is a growing number of private residences offering car parking on drives for multiple cars or adjacent spare land being used; everyone seams to be jumping on the band wagon right out to Copthorne and other surrounding villages. This is not mentioned at all in Gatwick’s applications 7 Infrastructure Rail Little scope to improve rail links. As a past commuter I fully realise that further congestion on trains will result on an already severely over stretched rail service. The London to Brighton main line cannot be expanded 8 Air Pollution The Clean Air (Human Rights) Bill was introduced to Parliament by Baroness Jenny Jones in May 2022, named after Ella Adoo Kissi Debrah, the first person in England to have air pollution named as a cause of death by a coroner. The already heavily polluted area around Gatwick Airport will be further impacted not only by increased flights but road traffic and construction traffic for this huge project. This is contrary to the UK’s commitment to reduce air pollution, it’s emissions and carbon footprint. 9 Environmental Impact on businesses East of Gatwick is what is still recognised as ‘The Garden of England’ with Penshurst Place Chiddingstone Castle and Hever Castle directly impacted. I volunteer at Chiddingstone Castle and know how damaging the existing overflight is to visitors and events income: Their Estate Manager wrote in December 2021: “The business relies heavily on use of the outdoor space for wedding ceremonies, concerts, theatrical productions and literary events. Being located to the east of Gatwick Airport, Chiddingstone Castle has been plagued with frequent and intrusive aircraft noise as westerly bound aircraft approach to land. At times, this disturbance has led to functions, events and productions being adversely affected and proposed events being cancelled. We are a tourist, event and hospitality provider which relies on income generated by these activities to support and maintain the heritage property and grounds. We are most concerned that an increase in future air traffic at Gatwick will further negatively impact our income generating base and therefore our ability to maintain a national heritage asset, into the future.” 10 Sewage and Surface Water Discharge Only recently South East News brought to our attention the state of The River Mole and it’s tributaries when fishermen noticed sewage spills. Water run-off will become even more acute with more tarmac and sewage generation at Gatwick, the airport being in the immediate vicinity and undoubtedly affecting the water table. Southern Water’s present facilities clearly can’t cope so any thought of development should be put on hold until adequate and improved infrastructure is in place which as the public knows could be decades away. 11 Economic Case We agree with CAGNE’s comments: The economic benefits of expanding Gatwick have been overstated by the Gatwick Airport Ltd. Significant economic, social and environmental costs have been ignored and/or understated. The economic benefits of air transport growth are subject to diminishing returns. In an already highly connected economy such as the UK, additional economic benefits from further expanding air transport are largely dependent on net inbound tourism and business travel growth. Both of these are absent in the UK today (more people fly on holidays overseas and business travel has flat-lined in the UK since 2006). When Gatwick's scheme costs, benefits, and the long-term societal risks are taken into account, the scheme’s economic case no longer stacks up and entails unreasonable levels of risk to local, national and international well being. In addition, the proposed scheme by incentivising UK residents to spend more overseas, this project will cost jobs and economic activity at home, particularly in the poorest parts of the UK, contradicting the government’s levelling-up agenda. 12 The Need for a 2nd Runway Again we agree with CAGNE’s summary: Gatwick’s overall case for expansion does not comply with the Airports National Policy Statement which requires airports (other than Heathrow) to demonstrate sufficient need to justify their expansion proposals, additional to (or different from) the need which would be met by the provision of a Northwest Runway at Heathrow.