Representation by Margaret Hensman
- Date submitted
- 26 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I’m writing to express my objections to the expansion plans of London Gatwick. London Gatwick Airport is a single runway airport with an emergency runway (now called the Northern Runway by the owners of London Gatwick Airport) either used as a taxiway or in emergencies and when scheduled maintenance on main runway required. Information I have read from London Gatwick implies a relatively simple operation in moving the Emergency/Northern runway 12 metres away from the Southern Runway. The true scale of the knock on effects of this “process” have enormous consequences and will have significant negative impacts not only on local communities but beyond into all the southern counties. It is in effect a second runway and as such should be treated as such. Moving the emergency runway still creates the need for all the infrastructure that comes with a new runway; new terminals, additional car parks, hotels, additional cargo facilities etc. The 70% increase in passenger numbers to 80.2 million, an expected 35% increase in aircraft movements to 386000 and an increase of nearly 100% in cargo traffic to 290,000 tonnes by 2047 are just not sustainable. - Air Pollution – the Gatwick area particularly to the north of Gatwick has suffered for many years and with the planned expansion can only get worse. - Road connections – a major cause for concern already as conditions unbearable at times so I hate to think what life will be like in 10 years time if expansion allowed to proceed. Whilst there are plans for road expansion at junction entry/exits etc all the other road networks around the local towns and villages will suffer from the airport expansion. - Rail connections – another major cause for concern with such limited train line options at Gatwick. - Flooding – another key issue with this expansion programme. The Gatwick area has been prone to flooding which has got worse over the past few years with climate change. Expansion on the scale envisaged will inevitably cause more flooding issues in the surrounding area. - Noise – the bigger the aircraft the noisier they are so the 35% increase in air traffic movement fills me with horror. I do hope someone takes the time to read this and my objections will be duly noted.