At this critical stage before a Government decision on airport expansion, and in advance of a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group for London on Tuesday (11th October), Crispin Blunt MP, Chairman of the Gatwick Coordination Group, has stressed the importance of implementing the independent and unanimous Airports Commission recommendation for a runway at Heathrow.

The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for London is made up of a small number of mainly anti-Heathrow MPs, who have chosen to ignore three years of evidence and instead push for Gatwick to expand.

Crispin Blunt commented:

“Despite the Airports Commission’s unanimous recommendation for Heathrow as the right choice for the UK, and grassroots support for the West London airport, some are still pushing for Gatwick, shown to be the far inferior option for the economy, with a plan which relies on Southern Rail and delivery of housing for a new workforce.

“Heathrow has strong local support because of the part it plays in powering the West London economy, and the opportunities expansion would create for the unemployed and underemployed in the locality. Unlike at Gatwick, there would be a ban on night flights, world leading mitigation and compensation, guaranteed respite, and the creation of 10,000 apprenticeships. This is why more people living around Heathrow support expansion than oppose, and why local MPs such as Alok Sharma, Virendra Sharma, Stephen Pound and Fiona MacTaggart publicly support the airport’s plans.

“Gatwick, however, is opposed by all local MPs and local authorities. There are scheduled arrivals at every hour of the night, and with expansion this would only get worse, with no respite for local communities and chaos for commuters already struggling with Southern Rail. The Airports Commission noted that when assessing performance against today, ‘the Heathrow schemes clearly have the advantage as they generally deliver a reduction in noise impacts compared to current levels, whereas the Gatwick scheme sees noise impacts increase in almost every case.’”

Crispin Blunt also commented on the reports that Mr Wingate, Gatwick’s Chief Executive, intends to press on with plans for a second runway at Gatwick, even if the Government announces a decision for Heathrow, by going through the local planning route:

“This would be in contravention of the 2008 Planning Act. Runways are Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, which require a national decision through a Development Consent Order, supported by a National Policy Statement.”