Meeting with Jeremy Quin MP for Horsham concerning Gatwick Airport plans on Friday 16th June 2023
Present – Rusper PC, Warnham PC, Rudgwick, and Slinfold PC
Below in red are the actions from the meeting which was very productive.
Aim to raise concern and have JQ action our concerns that our parishes will be most hit by the following:
He recognised that other invitees had declined – WSCC and HDC – but he said he wanted to hold the meeting.
Rudgwick was new to airspace as was a member from Rusper.
- FASIS – government initiative to modernise airspace – Gatwick is making clear this is something they are required to do by government and not their fault – moving blame and yet Gatwick has requested airspace for a 2nd runway airport with no guarantees that they are not going to request additional night flights (DfT night consultation suggested as planes are quieter these flights could be increase)
– Threat of new flight paths over new communities to increase capacity of Gatwick with greenwashing that it saves CO2 (more planes = more emissions – CO2 and vapours)
– Threat of removal of noise preferential routes established to give residents (home buyers) certainty in the 60’s (reviewed in 2004) to where planes fly departures.
– No compensation for those impacted to give respite to others with new flight paths.
– Kent and Chichester noise groups seek moving arrivals over our parishes (JQ parishes), ie joining and vectoring over areas at less than 7nm on arrival (removal of the noise abatement procedure)
We are to send JQ our response to the DfT night flight consultation of last month.
SP to provide JQ details on FED
JQ is to write to CAA re FED – Fair and Equitable Distribution, orignall brought by Kent noise groups/ Chichester groups seeking to move arrival noise. It is now a study by Manchester Uni and Anderson Acoustics funded by CAA which will feed into FASIS. This is a concern for our parishes as it seeks respite and to facilitate growth.
JQ to meet with Aviation Minister to raise concern that the above will impact his constituencies the most with GAL plans for growth.
JQ is to write to GAL to get in writing from them that they will not seek to move the joining point to the ILS to less than 8nm during the day and 10nm at night with FASIS.
Night movements a concern. Rusper suggested no departuers until about 5am so having more during the day. Warnham and Slinfold raised concern that our residents would not support this.
- Gatwick rebuilding the emergency runway as a 2ndrunway – An understanding that Gatwick is twisting government policy (making best use of current facilities) in relation to the 2nd runway. The infrastructure does not exist including the runway, rail and road links and the capacity to deal with it such significant increase in passengers and freight.
– Double the noise for those under the flight paths and to the sides (RNAV routes impact 3-4nm either side of route- CAP1948)
– 2nd Runway will not necessarily fly northern departure – Route 4 or 3
– Gatwick aim to fly concurrently routes which could all be over the Horsham area with departure routes 7, 8, and 1.
– One route is approx. 65 decibels as it vectors over Warnham/ Rowhook, higher readings over Rusper. Two routes would be double the noise with little gaps, if any.
– Our parishes receive all the traffic for 2 runways in arrivals to the main runway.
– Our parishes receive all the departures (70%) of the time from 2 runways.
- Commitment from Gatwick to make future consultation understandable for those without specific knowledge and detailing the impact of the proposals for each suggested route / change. Those changes must include both arrival and departures.
- Commitment from Gatwick to include legible maps on all consultation documentation.
- Gatwick are reviewing the NMB which has been dominated by arrival noise groups. The NMB should offer a balance in opinions and not facilitate one group seeking to move noise over others.
Slinfold is to write to JQ on this subject