Horsham MP Francis Maude reiterates opposition to second runway at Gatwick Airport

While he acknowledged the importance it had to the local and regional economy, he ‘firmly believed’ it should stay as a single-runway facility in Thursday’s County Times.

He listed environmental concerns, noise pollution, the need for thousands of new homes and supporting infrastructure if a second runway were built, as some of the reasons behind local opposition.

Mr Maude said: “I’ll continue to work with GACC [Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign], my parliamentary colleagues, local county, district and parish councils, other local groups and concerned individuals to demonstrate our opposition and I’ll keep readers posted about developments within the campaign.”

Last Friday he gave the opening speech at a seminar on a second runway at Gatwick organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the GACC.

The Davies Commission on airport capacity in the South East is expected to produce a shortlist of options later this year.