Gatwick Airport, a Big no to Expansion

This post was written by Nick Anderson and has been posted on his behalf.

 

Gatwick Airport, Noise and other Pollution

 

Moi? I recently joined the Green Party. I am not particularly political but thanks to Gatwick’s behaviour I now want to help to help fix the UK so that our children can live healthily and in a sustainable environment. For the record I am an ex-environmental scientist who now works in the IT industry.

Main Parties Uncommitted? Currently, the only party to make a firm commitment against Gatwick expansion and plane noise are the Green Party. The so called main parties have turned their backs on us and supported the investors who are sucking the life blood out of the South East; a fine example of how democracy works.

Fake Economy Ignores Pollution, we pay twice. The air industry is based on a false economy of paying little or no taxes. So taxpayers unknowingly pay for the £500m profit Gatwick are sending to their foreign investors, little left for the UK. We also have to suffer the racket the planes make, both now and in years to come. If you think you are safe up North, think again, this is only the beginning of the profit pumps.

Consultation, a bad joke filling the skies with pollution? There has been little or no consultation, and certainly none with South Eastern voters. It’s no joke, if Gatwick is allowed to expand (they want to, see below) they will fill the skies with planes as they have done for most of 2014 but three times as bad. Gatwick planes have frequently flown very low over my village until 02:50am (totally against regulations). We are 20 miles from Gatwick.

Concentrated Flight Paths, a Trial? If they were trials then why are Gatwick still flying low over our heads in December? Liars? Incompetent?

Pollution? Surely not Gatwick? No one is even considering this and Gatwick are keeping this out of the equation! Try not to think about the air pollution (NOx, SOx, PAH, Particulates and un-combusted fuel) raining down on your head whilst the profits wing their way overseas. This combination a good delivery method for inserting toxic components right onto the surface of our lungs, where they can easily be absorbed. No one can tell us if the pollution is damaging us and our children, no one is checking. The authorities are turning their backs.

Gatwick Noise line? It’s another Joke! The laughable ‘Noise’ line fail to respond to more than a couple of complaints from any individual and their ‘responses’ do not refer to noise at all. I also understand they took a 67 year old lady (Ann Jones) to court for making multiple complaints, see Ann Jones Article - Crawley News. Charming eh?

No Joke, they are not interested in us. So far there has been little or no consultation, and certainly none with the Kent and Sussex consumers/voters who have paid for it in more than one way. It’s no joke, if these people are allowed to expand they will fill the skies with planes as they have done for most of 2014; but three times as bad; you won’t be able to sleep or think. Gatwick have been flying low over my area until 02:50am, totally against regulations, charming! Today is Friday 5^th December and they are flying low over our village all day from 8am to now (9pm), one after the other. I do not understand why East Sussex CC are not opposing Gatwick plans for expansion (see below). Kent CC have recently come out and sided with their voters. Gatwick have stated that they will only fly over “fields”. Liars!

Anti-Gatwick Support. I note that the recent GACC Meeting was attended by around a thousand people. Some support when you consider that each citizen (i.e. voter) attending may represent between 10-50 others who could not make it or have not been reached out to. The additional number of people affected has been estimated at 30,000. I believe the figure is higher, but no one is collecting such data, another scandal. Also consider the springing up and increased membership of many pressure groups such as GACC, CAGNE, Airport Watch, ESSCAN etc. and the local groups all over the South East. I also note that Paul Carter recently pulled Kent CC’s support for Gatwick expansion as have several other councils.

Start Here, if you have not already. Here’s where you can start if you are affected by plane noise or worried about the pollution:

• Get People to join the Greens. Enough said! Look at the Green Party’s policy on this tawdry industry.
• Pressure Groups. Support and get information from one or more of the anti-Gatwick groups such as GACC, CAGNE, Airport Watch, ESSCAN (Crowborough) and also one of the many in local area groups (Hever, Sevenoaks etc.).
• Complain! Every time you get a noisy plane over your head report it via one of the methods you will find on the GACC or CAGNE web sites, make sure you let the CAA and the DFT know as well (full instructions on the CAGNE Take Action Page.). You can also download an Android Compatible App to automate complaints from your Android phone (e.g. Galaxy). Check the site to see if any other versions are available. Above all make your voice heard.
• Don’t have Internet? If your neighbour or friend does not have internet access tell them how to do this in writing or by phone.
• Council not onside? Complain to your local council (e.g. Councillor Francis Whetstone at East Sussex CC who still support Gatwick) if they continue not to defy Gatwick. Also go to your Parish Council meetings and make your voice heard. Get elected if needs be!

Do Something! Do something now unless you want you and your children to live in a hell-hole run from overseas!

Sir Howard Davies Consultation. Gatwick want to expand and are after a second runway, totally unfeasible . To make your voice heard do the Airports Commission consultation at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/increasing-the-uks-long-term-aviation-capacity and then scroll down to Ways to Respond (online, email or post). Just remember those flights are paid for by you. Also remember, do not be a NIMBY, support non-expansion, whenever you can.

I am saying NO to any expansion and NO to second runways; it’s based on false accounting, unknown pollution levels and looks like a whitewash.

Finally, I intend to devote the rest of my life to making sure that I did my best to leave our children with a decent environment. Right now I need to work, like all of us, but I fully intend to spend as much time as I can helping the Green Party with other issues once we have solved the Gatwick problem. If you want to help you will need to use your vote wisely and give a and to stop the current “snout in trough” politics that is ruining our planet.

Get involved.

Nick Anderson