Letter to the Times:

Heathrow is not the answer, Thunderer, 26 Sept 2016

It may be that ‘Heathrow is not the answer’ (Thunderer, 26 September), but the Airport Commission, prominent Sussex MPs and local people are clear that a second runway at Gatwick would not deliver the economic gains sought by the Government. The proposed runway is in the wrong place to benefit most of the UK and will fail to rebalance growth away from the South East.

While pursuing growth in the wrong place, expanding Gatwick would also compromise the quality of life of many local communities and the special landscapes and historic buildings at the heart of the Sussex countryside.

It is alleged that Gatwick comes ‘at a lower environmental and financial cost and with much less risk’. How are these claims substantiated?

Ultimately, this is not a choice between growing the economy and protecting the environment. Expanding Gatwick is a rejection of both.

Kia Trainor
Director, CPRE Sussex