West Sussex MP raises serious concerns with London Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway expansion plans

In his response to the Planning Inspectorate’s call for submissions on Gatwick’s Development Consent Order application, Jeremy Quin, MP for Horsham, has said he cannot support the application in its current form.

Mr Quin remains deeply concerned with Gatwick’s failure to engage adequately with local councils and about the impact of potential expansion on local housing and services.

Mr Quin had previously spearheaded a letter from local MPs asking Gatwick to delay their submission until they provided local councils with detailed analysis of the impact on the local environment, residents and infrastructure.

He said: “Gatwick’s proposals would have a serious impact on our area for decades to come. The changes imply far more flights, a requirement for more housing and millions of extra passenger and staff journeys. The environmental and congestion impacts are obvious.

“Millions of extra passenger and staff journeys would have a dramatic impact on our local area.

“Journey times to A&E are already at the absolute limit of acceptability. I do not want many Horsham residents to have to navigate vastly increased congestion and 14 years of construction-related delays simply to reach their local hospital.

“In practical terms, given the clinical, health-based reasons advocated by the NHS for rejecting our last attempt to secure a new local hospital I have focussed on seeking support for improving local primary care and the delivery of as many services as possible form Horsham Hospital or integrated with GP surgeries.

“However were Gatwick’s plans to proceed this would inevitably lead to slower journey times and increased demand, in that context the arguments in favour of local hospital provision need to be revisited.”