LETTERS: Massive impact of airport growth

Who will pay for the infrastructure to support an airport larger than Heathrow (Gatwick predict 90 million travellers, and that does not include workers, all trying to travel to a monster airport)?

They mention safeguards; what safe guards can they put in place to save thousands of home owners from the terrible noise and pollution of planes every other minute in the skies above Sussex and Surrey?

How can they safeguard thousands of voters’ homes from devaluation due to airplane noise? All these homes owners have paid their taxes.

Parts of Kent are infavour of Gatwick expanding because they do not want the fallout of a monster airport in Kent, ‘not in my backyard’, so why is it so appealing to West Sussex councillors to destroy this pretty, tranquil corner of Sussex?

There is a very important bi-election on 24th October and the candidates should be asked how they would vote on Gatwick and housing developments along the A264 so that voters know what they are voting for.

Since when has it been Conservative policy to vote in favour of Gatwick expansion?

It’s fine if you only look from one side of the fence and do not worry about your neighbours. That would seem to be the attitude of West Sussex County Council announcing that Gatwick expansion would be economically good news.

It’s not just the constant noise and pollution of planes, it’s the knock-on affect on our schools, hospitals, GPs, lanes, roads, train services, lack of parking and over-developed villages.

Is Gatwick going to pay for a new NHS hospital and the doctors’ surgeries that will be needed to care for the 30-45,000 new families that will have to move to this area to fill jobs at the airport?

At present there is a major jam on the M25 daily. Has your child had to go on a schools waiting list already? How many cars already use your country lane at 60mph to bypass jammed roads? Parking in Horsham for the station or shops is already a nightmare. And this is all before Gatwick expands!

The M25, the southern artery for major business traffic, at a total standstill is predicted if Gatwick expands.

Will WSCC pay (with taxpayers’ money) for a second tier so that international world of commerce that do not profit from Gatwick can get to work?

WSCC will be paying for new roads, mass new affordable housing on green lands, new schools, more police, more firemen, (profits only for Gatwick and industry connected to aviation), us taxpayers will be funding all that is needed to support a monster airport and at the price of our wonderful tranquil West Sussex.

The Conservative conference announced that Heathrow is going to have the new high-speed train arrive at its door straight from Manchester. So arrive at Heathrow and have direct access to London and the north why add to the headache of bringing more traffic to the southern stretch of the M25 by expanding Gatwick?

The Conservatives are accused of ignoring the North, so let people fly into Manchester where there is a lovely empty airport, empty roads, vacant lands and there’s unemployment of those that live there already. And it’s so much cheaper to live in the North!

SALLY PAVEY

Mayes Lane, Warnham