Election results put Gatwick runway in doubt – so does the surprise consultation by The Airports Commission

Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign    GACC

Campaign Office​​​​​​​     01293 863 369

Stan Hill​​​​​​​​ www.gacc.org.uk  

Charlwood​​​​​​​    gacc@btconnect.com

Surrey RH6 OEP​​​​​          

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Election result press release 8 May

Election results put Gatwick runway in doubt –

so does surprise consultation by Airports Commission

All eleven MPs elected for the constituencies around Gatwick are opposed to a second runway.  Most significant is the result from the marginal seat of Crawley (where a high proportion of the residents are employed directly or indirectly at the airport) – a dramaticwin for the Conservative anti-runway candidate, the MP Henry Smith, but defeat for the pro-runway Labour candidate.

According to Brendon Sewill, GACC chairman:  ‘This solid bloc of eleven anti-runway MPs will make it difficult for the new Government to push through a new Gatwick runway without the support of some minor Parties but the Lib Dems, UKIP and the Greens are all opposed.’

Another reason why a Gatwick runway looks less likely is the surprise announcement on polling day by the Airports Commission that they are to hold another consultation – on air quality.  This is obviously the result of the decision by the Supreme Court that the UK must implement the EU limits on air quality.  That would seem to rule out a third Heathrow runway, but it may also rule out a Gatwick runway.  The EU law states that ‘Air quality status should be maintained where it is already good, or improved.’

Doubling the number of aircraft at Gatwick plus the forecast extra 100,000 cars plus commercial vehicles per day would be bound to worsen air quality and would thus becontrary to the EU Directive.

GACC have pointed out that the increase in road traffic around Gatwick has been underestimated by the Commission because they have ignored induced and catalyticemployment. The same point has been made by Transport for London.

The Airports Commission was expected to produce its report in June but this unexpected consultation may well mean a delay. ‘Unanswered questions about pollution and climate change mean that it is now time for the Commission to go back and re-assess the case for no new runway, as they were required to do.’