Concerns over Gatwick Airport expansion raised by Horsham councillors

The airport plans to bring its Northern Runway into full-time use. But councillors say that the expansion would be damaging to the environment impacting on noise, pollution and biodiversity.

And, they say, it would also affect the council’s climate and carbon reduction aims. Additionally, the council fears existing road and rail infrastructure is inadequate for an expanded airport.

All concerns will be addressed at a public examination into the Northern Runway Project likely to start early next year.

Gatwick submitted a Development Consent Order to the Planning Inspectorate in July outlining its plans. It maintains that its proposals would use existing infrastructure ‘to unlock new capacity and improve airport resilience, in line with government policy.’

An airport spokesman said: “By investing in our long-term future, we will also enhance the crucial economic role we play, by creating around 14,000 new jobs and injecting £1 billion into the region’s economy every year.”