Representation by Brockham Parish Council (Brockham Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 12 November 2023
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Brockham is a civil parish in the Mole Valley District of Surrey.The community is intersected north-south with a main road leading from the A25 towards the south and Gatwick Airport. The River Mole runs through the centre of the parish in an east-west direction. The village is set in rural location on the edge of an AONB and represents a typical scenic rural Surrey village. Gatwick’s proposed expansion raises a number of concerns both direct and indirect. Road & Infrastructure impacts. The rural road network is already operating at maximum capacity with negative impacts such as speeding, pollution and traffic congestion. An additional 70% of passengers through the airport will certainly result in increased road traffic and its effects on the community irrespective of attempts to direct passengers to public transport (which in this locality is poor). Employment & Economics Should the employment levels suggested in the application ever be achieved there would be concern on the additional burden on housing, medical facilities and education in the area. The supposed economic benefits may accrue to the shareholders and in business taxation to the residents of Sussex and Crawley but they certainly do not benefit Surrey and thus Brockham. However the cost burden of the project does so. Noise Noise is a problem in terms of concentrated traffic on parts of the parish from Route 3 & Route 4 NPR’s and the increase by 30+% of aircraft movements will increase this nuisance rather than reduce it as suggested in the application. River Mole Brockham has historically suffered from flooding from the River Mole. In recent years major works have been achieved that alleviate much of the flooding problem. The potential to increase run off at Gatwick and thus increase release into the River Mole, particularly at peak weather event times, is of major concern. In addition the provision of sewage facilities for the major uplift in passenger numbers provides the threat of increased discharges of untreated or insufficiently treated waste water into the River Mole. As Brockham is situated downstream of Gatwick there is a significant possibility of serious negative impacts on the community. Climate Change It is obvious to all that the proposed increase in aircraft movements will bring about an increase in carbon emissions. Realistic estimates have been shown that by 2038 Gatwick could contribute as much as 5%+ of the whole of the UK’s carbon emissions. The Brockham Parish Council on behalf of its residents could not support such unsustainable growth. End