LETTER: Disturbance from a second runway

Gatwick Airport has still not given the public actual loudness predictions for the noise around Horsham that will be caused by a second runway.

The so called ‘Lmax’ loudness contours would show which areas will receive different levels of noise. It looks like 40,000 Horsham residents will be subjected to 55-70dB of loudness (some louder). Is that bad? Turn on your vacuum cleaner and step three steps away from it. Leave it on for about 30 seconds. Turn it off, wait two minutes then turn it back on again. Repeat about 20 times per hour between 6am and 9am and you will get the idea. Do you want this?

If your answer is no, make sure you ask the prospective MP who is courting your vote this May in the General Election to say what their party’s stance is. Later this year (after the election) the decision will be made for either Gatwick or Heathrow to get a new runway. It is the party’s stance and not the view of the Horsham MP that will count. Please ask now how your preferred party will vote. Then make your choice for your MP.

Has Gatwick succeeded in being a good neighbour with its current one runway? Recently released official reports show that they have now already disturbed half of Horsham.

Two complaint maps I have show the location and number of noise complaints received by Gatwick Airport from residents. There is a small number of angry red complaints from Horsham on the 2013 map.

The 2014 map shows a difference in the red circle that locates Horsham - a huge increase in Horsham disturbance.

This shows that Gatwick is hardly being the good neighbour that it claims.

Now re-ask that question from above. Do we want double the amount of disturbance with a second runway?

Over to you to decide and then act.

STUART SPENCER

Mitchell Gardens, Slinfold