Representation by Derek Brian Robinson
- Date submitted
- 13 November 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Dear Sirs, Response to Gatwick Airport Limited’s Northern Runway Proposal Expansion Plans I refer to Gatwick Airport Limited’s (Gatwick) Northern Runway Proposal expansion plans and would comment: Undue Expansion This is a massive expansion programme to move and transform a current emergency / taxiing runway a few metres further away from the main runway for safety requirements in order to construct a new full time second runway. It will nearly double the capacity of Gatwick aircraft movements causing double the noise and air pollution extending for many miles around, create large scale building projects and traffic congestion all generating associated pollution and putting major pressure on local infrastructure, rail and bus services, schools, housing, medical care & etc. Also “passing through” road and rail traffic and passengers will be severely disadvantaged. Need Gatwick’s overall case for expansion does not comply with the Airports National Policy Statement requiring 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. Gatwick’s expansion is unnecessary and local airports elsewhere in the country with surplus capacity should be utilised instead. This would be far more environmentally friendly than Gatwick’s massive building project and additionally address the long environmentally unfriendly journeys to and from Gatwick mentioned in “Location” below. Location Gatwick is south of London and in the wrong location for easy access from other parts of the country thus requiring many unnecessarily long and environmentally unfriendly and polluting journeys for arriving and departing passengers from and to their homes etc. There is insufficient space within the widespread area for conveniently extending the infrastructure required, particularly road, to provide for all the additional traffic generated by Gatwick’s expansion and local users and residents will be prejudiced long term. The major road access route around London the M25 currently experiences congestion and speed controls many times each day and constantly around Junction 7 (being the junction with the M23, Gatwick’s serving motorway) and its hard shoulder was commandeered a few years back to provide a fourth full time running lane. So the M25 is already overloaded and a questionable “Smart Motorway”. Gatwick Noise and Air Pollution Residents in large areas of Kent, Sussex and Surrey and neighbouring parts have for many years had their lives intruded upon by Gatwick’s arriving and departing aircraft and in busy times this can be one aircraft every two minutes. Certain locations experience overflying aircraft arriving, departing and non-Gatwick all at the same time. An expanded Gatwick will double the principal overflying aircraft to one every minute let alone the others. Gatwick Affected Areas It is frequently implied that only those under or adjacent to the ILS (Instrument Landing System), “the finals track” are affected by noise and pollution but this is totally untrue and the very much larger affected areas go back many miles earlier from the ILS. Additionally these areas are in the countryside where noise is far more noticeable and travels so much further than in urban areas which have absorbing buildings and local traffic noise blocking it out. Environmental and Climate Change The effects of Gatwick’s planned massive building projects will be contrary to HM Government’s climate objectives. Sufficient ongoing attention has not been paid to environmental damage to fauna and flora caused by overflying aircraft served by Gatwick including the all-important and (should be) protected local “Areas of Outstanding Beauty”. In addition residents and businesses including historic buildings and their businesses are detrimentally affected, some severely. Night Flights Amazingly night flights continue to be allowed and should be banned for the residents’ benefit. Where is Democracy? For over a decade now the concerns of responsible local residents, businesses, historic buildings, pressure groups, parish, town/borough and county councils throughout this whole south east area have been largely disregarded, or at best paid lip service, with the aviation business seemingly paramount in being permitted to do whatever it wishes although dressed up through numerous consultations where responses have been largely ignored. Any big business should not be permitted to expand through its own desire and cause such major upheaval and increased intrusion particularly when there are alternatives elsewhere. The current 24/7 situation is bad enough and intolerable at times. This is not democratic. The environment, lives and livelihoods of people and businesses who are actively supported by local MPs deserve more genuine consideration and protection by their Government and its regulating authorities and further development of Gatwick should be stopped. So no further expansion of Gatwick please but instead more effective action put in place by the regulating authorities to address and resolve the problems already manifest but ignored.