What’s in public interest?

It has been difficult to digest the sheer volume and complexity of consultation material provided by Gatwick Airport Limited regarding its Northern Runway project (‘Take time to review plans’, Opinion, WSCT September 9).

But County Hall in Chichester came to the rescue with a neat summary in its West Sussex Transport Plan 2022 to 2036 – section 3.171/2 – published in July:

“The Gatwick Masterplan 2019 set out three scenarios for future growth and resilience of the Airport:

“Scenario 1: where Gatwick Airport remains a single runway operation using the existing main runway...

Scenario 2: where the existing standby runway is routinely used together with the main runway...

“Scenario 3: where land continues to be safeguarded for an additional runway to the south...

“The Masterplan also confirms GAL’s intention to pursue Scenario 2 through the Development Consent Order process and to continue safeguarding land for a future runway to the south...

“Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) confirms these Scenarios in their ‘Preliminary Environmental Information Report [PEIR] Non-Technical Summary Section 3.2.1-5 - published in September 2021 [especially Scenario 3]:

“GAL is not actively pursuing Scenario 3 in light of the Government’s support for the third runway at Heathrow, but considers it in the national interest for land to continue to be safeguarded to allow for a new runway to be constructed to the south of the airport, if it is required in the future.”

It is not for Gatwick Airport Limited – a wholly owned subsidiary of Ivy Holdco Limited – to decide what is ‘in the national interest’. That responsibility lies with the government – not a private global consortium.

Likewise, it is the responsibility of Government – national and local – to decide whether or not the Homes England £3billion masterplan of 10,000 houses West of Ifield near Gatwick is ‘in the public interest’.

RICHARD W. SYMONDS The Ifield Society, Ifield Street, Ifield