The Gatwick Airport Board recently shared eight new pledges Gatwick Airport Ltd is prepared to make in the event of a government decision for a second runway this summer. The Coastal West Sussex Partnership Board (CWS) supports Gatwick Airport Ltds proposals to develop a new runway due to the economic and employment benefits it will bring to the area.
The Gatwick Airport Board have submitted a considerable amount of new and updated material to the Department for Transport over recent months, setting out how Gatwick would create a second world class airport for the UK and meet the future aviation needs of the country.
In a fresh lobbying drive, a recent letter was sent to Prime Minister David Cameron outlining the boards eight new pledges to help secure a third runway instead of Heathrow. Gatwick’s letter commits to boosting economic growth, capping the number of people affected by aircraft noise at much lower levels than Heathrow, keeping passenger charges at a maximum of £15 and no requirements for taxpayer subsidy.
The letter also promises the airport will not breach the air quality limits the government has set out, it pledges to introduce a noise contour cap and also states that it will compensate those most affected by noise, as well as promising shareholder commitment.
The CWS Board continues to support proposals for a second runway at Gatwick. In 2014 a report was commissioned by CWS and it looked into the impact of having or not having a second runway at Gatwick. It found that the introduction of a new runway by 2025 is likely to have a significant beneficial impact on the CWS economy. The most ambitious forecasts are for Gatwick Airport to be able to handle 95 million passengers per year and could result in CWS benefitting from an additional 1,250 Gatwick related jobs, contributing around £57m more to the local economy.