Gatwick
The sound of silence? We want your views about aircraft noise
Written by CPRE SussexFor the first time in a generation, our skies are full of the sounds of nature undisturbed by the noise of aircraft. The countryside charity, CPRE Sussex believes this rare glimpse of peace and tranquillity is a golden opportunity to gain a better understanding of how people really feel about noise pollution.
Flight Blight – the Environmental and social costs of aviation expansion
Written by CPRE Sussex
For many people, aircraft noise is a real problem. Research shows that aircraft noise is more ‘annoying’ than road or rail noise and that we are becoming increasingly sensitive to it.
Letter published by the West Sussex County Times 8 August 2019
Gatwick: Increasing aircraft movements in face of existential threat unwise
Written by Roger F SmithLetter to the Editor West Sussex Gazette, 28 July 2019.
Dear Sir,
Recognising the “devastating impact that volatile and extreme weather will have on UK food production, water availability, public health and through flooding and wildfire damage”, MPs endorsed on 1st May a motion for Parliament to declare an ‘Environment and Climate Emergency’ (Parliamentary Business of the Day: Environment and Climate Change 1 May 2019).
Gatwick Airport Ltd’s in-preparation application to convert the existing standby runway “into full-time routine use” to enable it to “incrementally” grow the airport (WSG July 24) must therefore be considered in the context of the Environment and Climate Emergency.
On Thursday 25th July, Britain recorded its hottest ever July day as temperatures rose to 38.1C, with consequent disruption of air and rail travel (Daily Telegraph July 26).
According to climate scientists “record temperatures across much of the world over the past two weeks could make July the hottest month ever measured on Earth”, that “nine of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 2000” – and that these “record warm streaks are certain to not only continue but to worsen if we continue to burn fossil fuels and warm the planet” (The Guardian 16 July).
Note too that within the Arctic Circle, communities in Alaska and Nunavut, including the world’s most northerly community, Alert, Ellesmere Island, are experiencing a record-breaking heat wave (‘The Canadian Press’ 15 July; Nunatsiaq News 17 July), accelerating there the melting of glaciers, ice caps and sea ice, thereby accelerating rising sea level.
Note also that climate scientists have determined that “scenarios of 21st century global total sea level rise exceeding 2 metres” should be used for planning purposes and that “beyond 2100, uncertainty and projected sea-level rise increase rapidly” (www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1817205116).
Given that Climate Change is an existential threat, increasing the movement of aircraft and passengers flying in and out of Gatwick, with a consequent increase in climate-changing emissions, would seem to be unwise, to say the least.
Yours faithfully,
Dr R F Smith
Trustee CPRE Sussex
“Untenable” Gatwick plan fails climate challenge
Written by Roger F SmithLetter to the editor: West Sussex County Times 22 July 2019
Gatwick continues to ignore rural communities and the impact it is having on our planet says CPRE Sussex in response to the Gatwick Master Plan launched on 18th July. Despite the Airport commission decision to expand Heathrow, Gatwick will pursue a plan to use the ‘emergency’ or ‘standby’ runway as a second runway whilst also safeguarding land for a third runway.
The following letter was sent to all Sussex members of Parliament on 11 December 2018.
Reject Gatwick's plans for 3 runways
Stand up for Sussex's unique natural environment:
- Reject the environmental impact of over 90,000 extra flights a year
- Reject the destruction of nature; animal habitats, wildlife corridors and biodiversity
- Reject the loss of countryside for the houses and infrastructure needed to accommodate the 12,000 extra workers for the expanded airport
- Reject increasing congestion on road and rail caused by an additional 50 million passengers and over 200,000 tonnes of haulage
- Reject the loss of clean air, peaceful woodlands and dark, starlit skies.
Gatwick: Stand up for your countryside before it’s too late!
Written by CPRE Sussex
You have until January 10 to object to proposals to expand Gatwick Airport from one to potentially three runways.
Gatwick expansion: campaigners declare a Sussex "state of emergency"
Written by CPRE Sussex
CPRE Sussex has taken the unprecedented step of declaring a “Countryside State of Emergency” in response to Gatwick Airport’s new expansion ‘Master Plan’, published last week (Oct 18).
