Horsham MP, Jeremy Quinn, opposed to Gatwick expansion, partly due to road congestion and hospital access
In his response to the Planning Inspectorate’s (PI’s) call for submissions on Gatwick’s Development Consent Order (DCO) application, Jeremy Quin, MP for Horsham, has said he cannot support the application in its current form. He remains deeply concerned with Gatwick’s failure to engage adequately with local councils and about the impact of potential expansion on local housing and services. He previously spearheaded a letter from local MPs asking Gatwick to delay their submission until they provided local councils with detailed analysis of the impact on the local environment, residents and infrastructure. There would be many more flights, a need for more housing, and millions more car journeys by staff and passengers. “Journey times to A&E are already at the absolute limit of acceptability. I do not want many Horsham residents to have to navigate vastly increased congestion and 14 years of construction-related delays simply to reach their local hospital. … were Gatwick’s plans to proceed this would inevitably lead to slower journey times and increased demand, in that context the arguments in favour of local hospital provision need to be revisited.”
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West Sussex MP, Jeremy Quinn, raises serious concerns with London Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway expansion plans
A West Sussex MP has raised serious concerns with London Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway expansion plans.
By Matt Pole, (Sussex World)
21st Nov 2023
In his response to the Planning Inspectorate’s call for submissions on Gatwick’s Development Consent Order application, Jeremy Quin, MP for Horsham, has said he cannot support the application in its current form.
Mr Quin remains deeply concerned with Gatwick’s failure to engage adequately with local councils and about the impact of potential expansion on local housing and services.
Mr Quin had previously spearheaded a letter from local MPs asking Gatwick to delay their submission until they provided local councils with detailed analysis of the impact on the local environment, residents and infrastructure.
He said: “Gatwick’s proposals would have a serious impact on our area for decades to come. The changes imply far more flights, a requirement for more housing and millions of extra passenger and staff journeys. The environmental and congestion impacts are obvious.
“Millions of extra passenger and staff journeys would have a dramatic impact on our local area.
“Journey times to A&E are already at the absolute limit of acceptability. I do not want many Horsham residents to have to navigate vastly increased congestion and 14 years of construction-related delays simply to reach their local hospital.
“In practical terms, given the clinical, health-based reasons advocated by the NHS for rejecting our last attempt to secure a new local hospital I have focussed on seeking support for improving local primary care and the delivery of as many services as possible form Horsham Hospital or integrated with GP surgeries.
“However were Gatwick’s plans to proceed this would inevitably lead to slower journey times and increased demand, in that context the arguments in favour of local hospital provision need to be revisited.”
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See earlier:
Gatwick airport expansion: people have till 29th October to register to be an “interested party” – extended to 19th November
Gatwick has now had its expansion plans – to convert its emergency runway into a full runway, for take-offs only – accepted by the Planning Inspectorate. This is part of the DCO process (Development Consent Order) as the Gatwick expansion is called as a project of national significance. So the plans will go into the examination process, by which organisations and members of the public can give their opinion on the plans. This means submitting evidence and applying to appear at the public hearings. The cut off date to register to be an “interested party” is Sunday, October 29th. That means people can give their opinion at a later date. People can register online. After October, 29 the Planning Inspectorate then has 6 months to carry out an examination. During this time registered commentators will be invited to give further details about why they have responded in the way they did. The inspectorate’s report will then be sent to the relevant Secretary of State, who will make the decision to grant or refuse development consent.
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Gatwick submits plans for second runway to double passenger numbers
Gatwick has formally submitted plans for a £2.2bn second runway, as the airport looks to double its passenger numbers to 75 million a year. There are the usual claims of more jobs and “a £1bn annual boost to the region”, which ignores the impact of yet more holiday flights, taking money out of the region and reducing tourism spend in the UK. The additional flights would significantly worsen noise and air pollution, as well as carbon emissions, from the airport. The 30,000-page application for a Development Consent Order to convert its standby runway for routine use was lodged with the Planning Inspectorate on 6th. The process is expected to take about a year before it reaches the Transport Secretary for final approval. The project will convert the emergency runway by moving its centreline 12 metres north, allowing planes to take off while others come in to land on the existing runway. There are road changes with additional local road lanes and flyovers. Gatwick has hopes work will start in 2025 for the runway to be in use by 2030. The political decision may potentially be just before or after a general election in 2025. The extra million tonnes of CO2 per year are totally inappropriate, with worsening climate change and global heating already apparent.
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