Reader's letter: Gatwick Airport modernisation plans need proper consultation with residents whose homes will be affected

Thank you for giving coverage to our online event on Thursday, October 13. CAGNE would like to respond to Gatwick Airport comments as follows:

CAGNE, the umbrella aviation community and environment group for Sussex, Surrey, and Kent, undertook a phone survey of six estate agents asking them one question: Is a house that is impacted by aircraft noise cheaper than a house that is not impacted by aircraft noise?

Out of the six asked, all bar one said 'yes', a house that is impacted by aircraft noise is cheaper than a house that is not.

Comments from estate agents, experts in the valuation of houses, were that a house would achieve less due to less demand for a house that is impacted by aircraft noise; it would depend on how impacted the house is, being directly under the flight path or to the side; and it would be like a house value that has other issues such as being next to a traveller’s site or adjacent to a very busy road.

Gatwick Airport, in their response to CAGNE’s warning over the modernisation of airspace (based on a two-runway airport) detailed ‘it would make it easier for today’s modern aircraft to fly more direct routes’ which would suggest that the routes flown today are not direct.

To date CAGNE has not seen anything from Government or Gatwick to illustrate that the noise will reduce as suggested by Gatwick in their response.

Gatwick are already at stage two of the modernisation of airspace process (the public will not be consulted until stage three in approximately 2024) that seeks to make the airspace more efficient for aviation with no compensation for anyone newly impacted as Gatwick seeks to accommodate a 35 per cent increase in flights with a two-runway airport.

Since your article the online booking for Ask Questions of Gatwick Airport Head of Airspace has considerably increased which would suggest that residents are very concerned about how Gatwick is conducting this and other consultations that will impact their house value and wellbeing even if it is in the government's name (2021 Act of Parliament).

The online event can be booked via www.cagne.org.

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