23 May 2014

Below is is CPRE Sussex's response to the Gatwick Runway consultations, discussed earlier.

23 May 2014

Below is is CPRE Sussex's response to the Gatwick Runway consultations, discussed earlier.

Seize the opportunity to voice your opposition to a second runway, which would change Sussex forever, and not for the better.

GAL are spending millions on a misleading PR exercise. Don’t be fooled.

Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) are a consortium of 4 overseas venture capitalists who show no long-term interest in the local economy, residents or the surrounding countryside. They are spending millions to promote their plans for a second runway, apparently not to solve any airport capacity crisis in the UK but to boost the sale price of Gatwick. GAL are widely expected to sell the airport – as soon as they can get their plans approved.

Plans for a second runway would devastate the Sussex countryside for miles around.

A new runway would mean twice as many aircraft in the sky, twice the pollution, twice the climate damage, twice the noise – and new flight paths over currently peaceful areas. Sussex would be changed forever.

But the problems will not just come from the skies. GAL claim that the number of passengers will more than double and that there would be 17,500 additional jobs around Gatwick.

Where would 17,500 new workers around the airport live? How will they get to work?

Perhaps a second runway could bring 17,500 additional jobs. This may sound like a good idea, but there is very little unemployment around Gatwick. These jobs will not be snapped up by locals but instead by people commuting in or new people moving to the Crawley area – in which case they will need new homes.

A new market town?

17,500 jobs would require around 12,000-13,000 homes in addition to those that were proposed in the old South East Plan. There would need to be a new town equivalent to the size of Haywards Heath or East Grinstead. But where? There is a danger of the Mayfields option at Sayers Common being promoted as an easy choice. Whatever the option, these numbers could mean concreting over the local countryside on an unprecedented scale.

And those not housed around Crawley will add to already heaving trains on the main rail line, and add to congestion and pollution on the A23/M23.

No new infrastructure is proposed by GAL

There are no costs to provide additional ‘surface travel’ infrastructure in the budget and so the GAL second runway appears much cheaper than Heathrow. Easy, ignore the problem and the cost plummets.

We now have the opportunity to voice our opposition to Gatwick Airport’s terrifying plans for our communities, by responding to their “public consultation”.

Responding to the consultation? Be careful!

This consultation will be part of GAL’s evidence to the Davies Commission, who will advise the Government which airport option they should proceed with. GAL already claim that, unlike Heathrow, they have local support. They cite the Leaders of West Sussex County Council, Cllr Mrs Louise Goldsmith, and of Eastbourne Borough Council.

The consultation is a PR exercise

The purpose of this consultation is to enable GAL to provide statistics that ‘show’ that there is very little opposition to the second runway. Some of this they hope can be achieved in the way that their questionnaire is phrased.

Leading questions are posed so that you are asked to indicate which choices between their three options you prefer. When answering they hope that respondents will indicate a preference of one runway option over the others. Don’t fall for it.

Resistance is not futile!

So GAL’s consultation exercise is designed to force you into supporting their expansion plans.

But it is possible

• to show your concern for the social and environmental impacts (Questions A1 and A2)
• while not answering their biased questions (A3, A4, A6, B1, C1).

Most importantly, if you respond to the online consultation –

Make sure to SELECT OPTION 3 under question D1 - NONE OF THESE OPTIONS.

Respond to the consultation here.

Don’t be bamboozled or intimidated by the millions GAL are spending on PR. Millions that would have been better spent on providing some proper evidence to show how their scheme might or might not work.

There’s no need for a new runway at Gatwick, and it’s up to all of us to show our opposition. Numbers do count!

If past experience is anything to go by GAL will only quote those who have actively opposed their scheme – everyone else, including those who do not respond, they say are not opposed.

Opponents at Heathrow will be shouting their opposition – if we don’t do this then our voice will be drowned out and Gatwick could become the least difficult option – which GAL have helpfully suggested is half the price and requires no Government money – and which WSCC has just added its enthusiastic support. We say there is no need for a devastating new runway anywhere in the UK, there is plenty of runway space already available.

JUST SAY NO!

You can also respond by e-mail in your own words to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Why not show your support? Download and print off one or more of our posters or window leaflets and let people know what you think about the Gatwick proposals. See below. 

Seminar held jointly by GACC, CPRE Surrey and CPRE Sussex on Friday 25 October

Local and national concern at a proposal by Gatwick Airport Limited for a second runway was much in evidence at a high-profile seminar on Friday, where a packed house gathered to examine its potentially devastating consequences and discuss how it can be challenged.

Organised jointly by GACC, CPRE Surrey and CPRE Sussex, the event was particularly well attended by influential policy makers, with four MPs and one MEP actively participating. Over thirty local councillors of all the major parties also contributed, with Cllr Helyn Clack of Surrey County Council in the Chair.

Wealden District Core Strategy

The recent examination in public of the Wealden District core strategy has had a profound effect on planning in our district. The planning inspector proposed modifications to Wealden’s strategy to reflect the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive. This in turn prompted Natural England to revise its advice to all planning authorities, and Mid Sussex DC to suspend all planning decisions in the vicinity of the protected Ashdown Forest. We welcome this turn of events, as it has focused councils’ minds on the need to balance development with protection of endangered animal species and habitats. It remains to be seen if the result will be a more sensible balance in favour of the environment. We will be watching closely.

16 July 2012

With the Government’s review of airport capacity now on hold until Autumn 2012, CPRE Sussex is gearing up for any proposals which could pose a threat to the Sussex countryside.

Gatwick is currently the world’s busiest single-runway airport and a significant source of development pressure and congestion locally.