LETTER: Lab and Lib Dem just do not get it

They sat on stage voicing about the shortage of affordable housing, how developers were calling the shots, overcrowding on railways, how they were party to creating national parks and how we should encourage agricultural farming and that the Government should pay.

And then, wait for it, the punchline, they both support a second runway at Gatwick.

They obviously do not get it, the Government’s money is the taxpayers’ money and that is what will have to fund Gatwick expansion.

To date this country has a massive national deficit and has not found funds for us so why would this change when Gatwick is a major exporter of UK funds overseas as it services the bucket and spade industry, and brings the least into the UK economy according to the Airports Commission.

And let’s not forget that 60,000 inward migrating workers would be needed by Gatwick adding to the affordable housing shortage, lack of GPs and hospitals.

Nor that congested roads will have to take an extra 100,000 vehicles a day plus freight which will mean a decline in air quality.

Nor that the runway will be built on floodplains, remove 14 acres of ancient woodlands and more listed buildings than HS2.

Nor that an airport larger than Heathrow would dictate huge building of sheds, major road infrastructure, mass house building all on our countryside and the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which surround Gatwick, would be destroyed as will rural communities due to 560,000 aircraft annually day and night with five new routes over West Sussex alone?

So much for wanting to preserve this area and farming, not sure they got the theme of the event, ie Campaign to Protect Rural England.

Well done Jim Rae for pointing out that the new North Horsham homes will be under a new flightpath off a new runway so ‘who will want to buy them?’.

I wonder if the developers are in favour of Gatwick?

SALLY PAVEY

Chair of CAGNE, Mayes Lane, Warnham