Sussex Wildlife Trust objects to Gatwick Airport expansion

Charlotte Owen

Conservation Officer

Sussex Wildlife Trust has registered as an Interested Party to raise our objection to the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order application (find out more about this application here).

We are strongly against a second runway at Gatwick Airport, which will enable more flights and increase carbon emissions. This is in direct opposition to the UK’s legally binding net zero targets and the expert recommendations of the Climate Change Committee, which continues to advise ‘no net airport expansion across the UK.’

The creation of a second runway at Gatwick also goes against the Airports National Policy Statement, which is not in favour of expansion at Gatwick.

Due to these overarching concerns, we are fundamentally opposed to the proposed expansion of Gatwick Airport. However, we have also looked at the detail of the proposals to consider the wildlife impacts.

Unfortunately, there is a general lack of detail in this respect. As a result, the type and total area of habitat being lost is unclear, meaning the impacts of these losses are also unclear, as are the measures that will be taken to compensate for them.

We’re also concerned about the wider landscape-scale impacts of the proposed development, which haven’t been addressed. For example, the destruction of a woodland corridor along the A23 could mean that bats can no longer fly along this route, disconnecting their foraging and roosting habitats. Even if trees are eventually replanted, they won’t provide the same ecological function until they have grown to maturity, so there will be a time lag between habitat loss and recreation.

We’ve submitted headline concerns (known as a Relevant Representation) during the registration process and are now working up a more detailed submission (known as Written Representation) ready for the next phase of the process.