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Gatwick campaigners unite in letter to Downing Street

In a campaign against narrowing Gatwick’s flight paths, anti-noise campaigners will deliver a protest letter to Downing Street..

Despite Gatwick’s pledge to try and minimise the impact of aircraft noise, campaigners from Sussex and West Kent are angry at trials involving changes to flight paths.

Ian Hare, from Pulborough Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions, said: “It goes in fits and starts, when we have an easterly wind then we have a very intense and persistent flow of aircraft overhead.”

Hare said, in the nine minutes following 0600 BST, there were six flights going over his house at between 4,500 and 6,000 feet.

He added: “It’s the continuous droning noise which makes it a bit like a motorway in the skies above us,”

Brendon Sewill chairman of Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign said: “We can not see how any airport expansion can go forward with the anger that is being vented at all airport operators due to the current airspace changes. All the protest groups coming together should send a clear message to the Government that residents are fed up with being ignored and that they will not be disregarded.”

A spokesman from Gatwick Airport said: “Gatwick is receptive to feedback on all aspects of our airport operations and it is absolutely the right approach for all concerned to work together to agree ways to minimise the impact of aircraft noise.

“We have been doing this for some time at Gatwick but welcome discussions on how this process can be improved.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .