What you need to know about the Gatwick v Heathrow fight

In case you didn’t know what all the fuss was about, this is all about where to put another runway. For Gatwick it would be a second runway, for Heathrow it would be the third. The idea is to increase the UK’s airport capacity overall. Yesterday the Airports Commission made a decision as to which airport they recommend for expansion.

SO… WHO GETS THE RUNWAY?
Well, we still don’t know. Yesterday the Airports Commission published the long-awaited report identifying which airport should get the runway, with a ‘clear and unanimous’ recommendation for a third runway at Heathrow. However…

… The Government doesn’t have to accept the recommendation, so Gatwick is still in the running.

WHY HEATHROW?
The Commission favoured Heathrow chiefly on economic grounds, but suggests certain conditions must be met for it to go ahead, including a ban on night flights, greater compensation for residents, stricter controls on air quality and also a guarantee that a fourth runway would not be built.

DO WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER RUNWAY? WHAT FOR?
Airport expansion at both sites is largely favoured by businesses in each area as something that will bring an economic boost to the region, but there is opposition from locals and green campaigners for both. The idea of another runway is simply to be able to offer more flights, more non-stop journeys, opening up the UK to further travel options and therefore boosting travel, business, tourism etc. You get the picture.

THIS ISN’T GREAT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, SURELY
Heathrow expansion means lots more people lose their homes, and Gatwick plans would eat up more green space. Both options inevitably mean more noise and more carbon emissions.

An expanded Heathrow would generate up to 47,000 tonnes of waste a year by 2040. An expanded Gatwick would generate 14,500 tonnes of waste a year by 2040.

WHAT’S THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO THE REPORT?
MPs are consistently divided over the decision, with Boris Johnson even going as far as to say it will never get built. In 2009, David Cameron said, “no ifs, no buts, no third runway” about Heathrow but the murmurs from the House of Commons are that this report is an ideal way for him to effect a U-turn without taking responsibility for the decision. Boris, however, is very anti-Heathrow. Harriet Harman entered the scrum yesterday and managed to get a good dig in by suggesting that Cameron would be ‘overruled’ by Johnson. It was all just hilaire. Caroline Lucas is, of course, mostly not keen on the idea at all.

SO IS IT ALL OVER FOR GATWICK NOW?
Despite the report, the bigwigs at Gatwick say it is still very much in the race. Stewart Wingate, the chief executive at Gatwick Airport said, “The Commission’s report makes clear that expansion at Gatwick is deliverable. We are confident that when the Government makes that decision they will choose Gatwick as the only deliverable option. For instance, this report highlights the very significant environmental challenges at Heathrow such as air quality and noise impact.”

SOOOO… WE’RE NO FURTHER FORWARD THEN REALLY?
No, not really. It’ll rumble on for a while yet, with the Government planning to ‘report back’ in autumn. Don’t get excited about it just yet. I’ll take years to build, even once the decision is made.

WOULD HAVING THIS AT GATWICK BE A GOOD THING FOR SUSSEX?
It depends where you live, what you do for a living, and how green you are. It’s undeniable that this will boost the local economy, bring work and jobs, and increase the validity of Gatwick airport on the world stage – if that’s the right term – but yeah, it’s going to chew up some lovely green space, make more noise and create more carbon footprints.

The official line from Gatwick Airport identifies that “Gatwick’s plans aim to strengthen the whole of the UK’s network of airports whereas Heathrow’s plans aim to concentrate international traffic through Heathrow itself, restricting the growth of airports outside the capital.” So if we have to have another runway, maybe it would be good to have it outside the capital, and certainly fewer people will be made homeless. But the impact on the environment in Sussex will be undeniable, whether it’s a boost for the economy, or a loss of green land.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE?
For Gatwick go to www.gatwickobviously.com
For Heathrow go to www.takingbritainfurther.com

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY?
We’d love to hear from you about this. Do you want the expansion at Gatwick? Do you think it’s a shocking idea? Are you a business that will be affected? Email us – info@titlesussex.co.uk