Nicholas Soames, Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, today responded to the interim report from the Airports Commission into airport capacity in the UK.
Mr Soames said; “The short list in Sir Howard Davies’ report fails to answer the questions of how we are to build a full hub airport capable of operating 24/7.
“In my view the report promotes, in Gatwick’s case, a potentially catastrophic compromise.”
Nicholas Soames continued; “A new runway at Gatwick would cause terrible environmental damage to our already hard pressed towns and villages all around Gatwick.
“In addition to the problems of noise and pollution there is no doubt that it would lead to appalling over-development and the ruination of much of the countryside of Surrey and West Sussex.
“The added pressure on our schools, hospitals, roads and railways and on our precious countryside would be completely unacceptable and spell a knockout blow to the place that we all live in. Quite where 40,000 new houses to house the new workers at an expanding Gatwick will go is quite beyond me.”