GATWICK AIRPORT DRAFT MASTER PLAN 2018

OPPOSITION MOUNTS TO GATWICK DRAFT MASTER PLAN 2018 INVOLVING USE OF THE EXISTING EMERGENCY RUNWAY.

The standby runway is located 198m to the north of the main runway and was granted planning permission in 1979. It provides an alternative runway for use when the main runway is closed for maintenance or as a result of an incident. One of the conditions of the planning permission was that it could not be used simultaneously with the main runway. The simultaneous use of both runways is also ruled out by a Section 52 Agreement with West Sussex County Council. However this agreement expires in 2019.

The Airports Commission selected Heathrow to provide additional runway capacity in the South East - Government and Parliament have endorsed that recommendation. There is no national justification to expand Gatwick Airport.

See NCS submission - Gatwick Master Plan 2018

Campaign Group GON (Gatwick Obviously Not) commented:

The growth proposals in the master plan would further enrich the airport's shareholders whilst inflicting more flights, more noise, more emissions and more public transport congestion and over-crowding on local people and those under flight paths.

See GON Group submission - Gatwick Master Plan 2018

The proposals to increase runway capacity are all dedicated to increasing passenger numbers and flight volume. This will adversely increase both noise and air quality impacts. NCS consider that plans to increase runway capacity should be discontinued. The parish of Nutfield is already affected by the change in departure routes announced in 2013 which involves an increased volume of Gatwick aircraft flying at 3000ft (and sometimes lower) over the parish. We have called for this height to be increased to a minimum 5000ft which would reduce the environmental impact of the change adopted on departure route 3        See >Gatwick proposed height changes on Departure R3

The environmental impacts are increasing within current growth levels without considering any increased additional runway facility. Gatwick should be addressing how to reduce the escalating contributions they are making to the adverse effects on the environment. 

The Government acknowledge the nation cannot meet the stated carbon emission targets and commitments. Aviation-related expansion will only increase the pressure to meet these levels and the planned runway expansion at Gatwick should therefore be avoided as this is considered unnecessary.

Gatwick should actively listen to the opposition presented and respond meaningfully to the negative aspects of aviation rather than pursuing goals that merely favour the industry from a financial standpoint.