Representation by Douglas George Horner
- Date submitted
- 26 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Gatwick air traffic overflies the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is also within the Metropolitan Green Belt. Planning Policy protects certain qualities in those areas, and the AONB protection is enshrined in Statute. These are areas in which tranquility and freedom from disturbance are protected for the benefit of a huge population The overflights are a massive noise and visual intrusion damaging to this protected environment. I live in Penshurst, below a flight path used by Gatwick. The height of aircraft using this flight path varies, and a significant number appear very low and both aurally and visually very intrusive to residential amenity. Increasing the intensity of Gatwick’s operation will intensify the related loss of residential amenity. On both counts, AONB/MGB and residential amenity, Gatwick’s proposal is unacceptable. Gatwick is not, and does not have the potential to be an internationally competitive hub airport. Expanding it risks undermining the role and potential of Heathrow airport as a hub airport. That is unwise and unacceptable. I oppose the current expansion proposal.