SEPTEMBER 17 2021 – “IT IS NOT FOR GATWICK AIRPORT LIMITED – A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF IVY HOLDCO LIMITED [A PRIVATE GLOBAL CONSORTIUM] – TO DECIDE WHAT IS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST”

“IT IS NOT FOR GATWICK AIRPORT LIMITED – A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF IVY HOLDCO LIMITED [A PRIVATE GLOBAL CONSORTIUM] – TO DECIDE WHAT IS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST” – WEST SUSSEX COUNTY TIMES + CRAWLEY OBSERVER – LETTER – SEPT 15/16 2021

 

Dear Editor

 

It has been difficult to digest the sheer volume and complexity of consultation material provided by Gatwick Airport Limited regarding their Northern Runway project [“Take time to review plans”, WSCT Letters, Sept 9]. 

But County Hall Chichester came to the rescue with a neat summary in their ‘West Sussex Transport Plan 2022 to 2036’ – Section 3.171/2 – published in July 2021:

“The Gatwick Masterplan 2019 set out three scenarios for future growth and resilience of the Airport:

Scenario 1: where Gatwick Airport remains a single runway operation using the existing main runway…

Scenario 2: where the existing standby runway is routinely used together with the main runway…

Scenario 3: where land continues to be safeguarded for an additional runway to the south… 

The Masterplan also confirms GAL’s intention to pursue Scenario 2 through the Development Consent Order process and to continue safeguarding land for a future runway to the south…”

Gatwick Airport Limited [GAL] confirms these Scenarios in their ‘Preliminary Environmental Information Report [PEIR] Non-Technical Summary – Section 3.2.1-5 – published in September 2021 [especially Scenario 3]:

“GAL is not actively pursuing Scenario 3 in light of the Government’s support for the third runway at Heathrow, but considers it in the national interest for land to continue to be safeguarded to allow for a new runway to be constructed to the south of the airport, if it is required in the future”

It is not for Gatwick Airport Limited – a wholly owned subsidiary of Ivy Holdco Limited – to decide what is “in the national interest”. That responsibility lies with the Government – not a private global consortium.

Likewise, it is the responsibility of Government – national and local – to decide whether of not the Homes England £3bn masterplan of 10,000 houses West of Ifield near Gatwick is “in the public interest”. 

 

Yours sincerely

 

Richard W. Symonds

The Ifield Society