Concern as London Gatwick Airport consultation registration closes early

CPRE Sussex has raised concerns after registration to comment on Gatwick Airport expansion plans was closed early.

The charity successfully submitted its own response on Friday.

However, people trying to register on Sunday were met with a message saying the registration period had closed.

This was despite the page previously clearly stating the deadline was 11.59pm on 29 October.

CPRE Sussex director Paul Steedman said: “We have been contacted by several people who were unable to register online on Sunday in line with the stated deadline.

"We have asked the Planning Inspectorate to reopen registration for a small number of days to give those people the chance to register their views.”

The Planning Inspectorate has said the issue is being investigated as a “matter of priority”.

CPRE Sussex objects to plans for a second runway at Gatwick Airport.

It says a second runway is contrary to the policies set out in the Airports National Policy Statement.

The plans are unsustainable because they would degrade the quality of the environment, damaging the Sussex countryside and the health and wellbeing of residents.

“Gatwick is proposing what is, in effect, a new runway, to operate at the same time as their existing main runway – which they cannot do at present,” said Mr Steedman.

“Government policy is clear – any new runway for the South East should be at Heathrow. However, CPRE Sussex supports the even stronger view of the Government’s own advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, that there should be no net airport expansion across the UK.”

CPRE Sussex has submitted a host of evidence to support its objection. You can read the response in full here.

Anyone interested in finding out how they can help protect the Sussex Countryside can visit cpresussex.org.uk/get-involved.