London Gatwick responds to campaign group's report that claims there is a ‘lack of workforce' to fill the 14,000 jobs created by expansion plans

The airport submitted their Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on 6 July - outlining its plan to make best use of existing infrastructure by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use. By bringing the Northern Runway into routine use alongside the Main Runway, the airport says it would unlock new capacity and allow for a more efficient and resilient operation. If approved the £2.2 billion privately financed plan would be one of the largest capital investment projects in the region for decades. And it would help the airport meet future passenger demand by serving around 75 million passengers a year by the late 2030s.

The airport says ‘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’.But a new report by Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) claims there is ‘a lack of workforce to fill 14,000 jobs as Sussex Gatwick struggles to meet current vacancies’, that there is ‘job creation in areas that lack sustainable transport links and unemployment’ and there is ‘a lack of affordable housing to accommodate an inevitable influx of workers placing additional pressure on surrounding local authorities to accommodate’.

In their latest press release, CAGNE said: “The findings repeat and emphasise the findings of the 2015 Airport Commission’s (AC) report into expansion in the South East. It reviews the AC Summary that favoured a new runway at Heathrow Airport over Sussex based Gatwick Airport partially due to a lack of workforce to accommodate such new runway growth plans.

“Gatwick now seek an additional 14,000 workers according to Tim Norwood, Gatwick Director, placing them in direct competition with neighbouring sectors such as the NHS at East Surrey Hospital, transport and DHL warehousing.”

In reply, a London Gatwick spokesperson said: “Bringing our Northern Runway into routine use will enhance the crucial economic role of the airport by creating 14,000 new jobs and injecting £1 billion into the region every year.

“We know the vast majority of residents who we’ve engaged with support our plans and recognise the economic boost and new jobs we can provide for the region.

“Subject to planning, construction won’t start until 2025 at the earliest with the full benefits being seen from 2030 and beyond. Local children and students who are at school and college now will be entering the workforce at this time and could benefit from thousands of opportunities for exciting careers in aviation. It is right to invest for the future and we believe job creation can only be a positive thing for Sussex and the wider region.

“Currently, London Gatwick is growing at pace and we have a number of exciting roles on offer."

CAGNE’s report questions ‘Gatwick’s assumptions and makes clear that tourism venues will require the same type of seasonal workers as Gatwick in the summer months adding to the issues of lack of workforce.’ They said: “Gatwick currently struggles to fill vacancies. It is therefore inevitably the pressure to find workers will cause an unsustainable inward migration of workers. Our report illustrates that surrounding areas house prices, to buy or rent, make living close to the airport unrealistic as such any influx of workers would add to the issues already faced by local authorities to find affordable housing, school places and hospital beds” says CAGNE the umbrella aviation community and environment group for Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

“The other issue is how workers will arrive at the airport if they can’t live locally? This surely must make a mockery of the Gatwick sustainable transport plans with rail fares set to rise again.”

The application was accepted for detailed examination by the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on August 3 and a period of detailed examination of the proposals by a panel of independent experts will follow. Ahead of the examination and up until November 19, the public - including residents in local communities and other stakeholders - were given the opportunity to register with the Planning Inspectorate to become an 'interested party'. They may be asked to participate and provide their feedback on proposals during examination.

Gatwick has made further changes to the application and are consulting the public, landowners and other stakeholders on the changes so that views can be taken into account. It will be for the Planning Inspectorate to decide if the changes can be made to the application before it is examined.

More detailed information on the proposed changes, including the need for the changes and our environmental assessment work can be found in the Notification of Proposed Project Changes report.