LETTER: Flight path trials must now end

I feel that I must join the effort in complaining about the Gatwick Flight Trials that are currently happening.

Since February this year the trial has disturbed what I know is a quiet village. We moved to Rusper over five years ago, with the understanding of Gatwick nearby.

But what we did not know that at any given time, a trial of this magnitude would be given permission to go ahead. Since this trial began, with the past couple of weeks in particular, it has been depressing.

I am disgusted with those who designed the flightpath trial, gave permission to the flightpath trial, and those who are not actioning the many complaints and stopping the trial.

We can no longer enjoy sitting and eating in our own garden with disturbance of a flight taking off directly over the village. I can no longer wind down after a day at work, due to the stress of frustation of not be able to relax due to the constant noise flying above our house.

When the days are warm, and windows need to be opened, we can no longer hear our own television due to the noise again from the trial flight path.

Each morning I am woken by the sounds of the flightpath. At work, I try to call my wife at home on the phone. She has to pause when a flight goes over, as I cannot hear her.

This flight path trial cannot carry on.

We moved to the area for the country lifestyle while being close to Crawley and Horsham. We have invested a lot of time and money into restoring and decorating our home. We had extension plans and home improvements for this year which have now been either postponed or cancelled.

I would like to give you examples of when noise occurs, but then I would be constantly recording flight times. This would be a waste of my time, and your time reading. We all know that you know what flights are affecting Rusper, it’s all of them taking off in a westerly direction, and flying to the trial flightpath.

Please log this as a formal complaint for record inspection at a later date.

I know the reasons behind the trial, as it is the talk of the community not only in Rusper, but in surrounding villages, and those affected beneath this trial fightpath. But please could you respond letting me know when the trial is due to end. We have been told that is was a six month trial. I would like to know a date so that I can know when this frustration and depressing time will end.

For those also copied onto this, please do not ignore my complaint and those also sent in from many people in the areas affected. This is really a stressful time and the trial cannot continue.

ALAN ROBBINS

East Street, Rusper