Gatwick has released the results of a poll they commissioned but the results have not been welcomed by opponents.

The results according to the YouGov poll say that three quarters of residents (74%) in Sussex, Surrey and Kent who were surveyed support Gatwick’s plans to increase capacity by making better use of its existing runways – with only 14% opposing.

It also says that a similarly high proportion (67%) surveyed also supported Gatwick’s plans to continue safeguarding land south of the airport – in the national interest – in case it is ever needed for a new runway to meet future long-term demand. Only 16% opposed this concept.

But one opponent, Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE), has hit back saying: “Consultation and poll stinks of propaganda.”

CAGNE say they have written to the Civil Aviation Authority demanding that the current consultation, being carried out by Gatwick Airport concerning the Master Plan for their 15 year plan, be dismissed as nothing more than a profile-raising stunt to increase share price whilst misleading people in providing little details to allow and informed opinion.

“This whole process stinks,” says CAGNE. “Residents thought that the
airport expansion debate was over, that Heathrow had won, but here we are
with Gatwick Airport seeking a 2nd runway by the back door and deceiving
local people and businesses to the true facts of what it will mean by
Gatwick adding 70-95m passengers and tens of thousand of extra workers to
the congested roads and single railway line that cannot be expanded.”

But Gatwick say that thirty eight per cent of those who supported Gatwick’s plans did so because of the potential increase in the airport’s contribution to the local economy (e.g. jobs, trade, investment); 32% recognised the potential increase in travel connections and 27% because the airport already owned the land required to increase capacity.

Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, said:

“These results show that an overwhelming majority of residents in Sussex, Surrey and Kent who were surveyed both support our plans for growth and recognise how important they are in terms securing the region’s economic prosperity and new jobs for generations to come.

“Our draft master plan sets out our vision for the airport’s sustainable growth into the 2030s and explains how it can meet the UK’s increasing demand for air travel and global connectivity. The plan would help us to bolster the national and local economies for future generations and I encourage as many people as possible to take part in our ongoing consultation process.”

The public consultation on Gatwick’s draft master plan runs until 10 January 2019 and can be accessed here.