Representation by Jonathan Clark
- Date submitted
- 27 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I would like to oppose the additional runway at Gatwick Airport for the following reasons. 1. The Policy has been misinterpreted by the applicant as this is an applicant for a new runway which does not comply with the Government’s Aviation Strategy. Gatwick does not have 2 runways that it can operate concurrently today as such it is a new runway being constructed. 2.It would lead to a big increase in aircraft noise – an additional 101,000 flights a year to a cap of 386,000. 3. There is already a lack of affordable housing locally to enable workers to walk or cycle to work as the applicant proposes. And lack of amenities. 4. The Crawley Horsham area has already seen a massive increase in development and much farmland and countryside has already been lost. To lose countryside in West Sussex will further degrade the landscape and valuable habitat and farmland lost. There is no benefit to locals -simply to the owners of the airport who do not live in the area. 5.Gatwick sits on a single main road, the M23 which is deemed an unsafe smart road. To add to the huge increase in freight, passengers and workers will cause a significant increase in congestion on residential roads and an inevitable decline in air quality. The airport sits on the Brighton Main Line, which can’t be expanded. Gatwick seeks to add an unacceptable burden to the line with over 32m extra passengers. 6. A new runway would add a significant amount of carbon and greenhouse gases.