Crawley Observer – Gatwick News

County council votes ‘no’ on new runway
21st January 2015 – Crawley Observer
website www.crawleyobserver.co.uk

By Joshua Powling
email crawleyobserver@jpress.co.uk

West Sussex County Council voted to oppose a second runway at Gatwick this week, 18 months after agreeing to support expansion’in principle’.

After approving its draft response to the Airports Commission, councillors voted against the authority’s leadership by a margin of 37 to 26, in favour of a motion expressing ‘its opposition to a new runway to expand Gatwick Airport’.

Conservative Cllr Peter Griffiths put forward the motion as an amendment to one tabled by Tory Cllr Bill Acraman at the Full Council meeting at Horsham’s County Hall North on Monday, 18 months after the county council voted to support a second runway ‘in principle’, subject to environmental considerations.

Cllr Griffiths (Con, Hurstpierpoint & Bolney) questioned the area’s ability to cope with the amount of new homes needed if Gatwick was selected for expansion.

He added: “The business case does not stack up. There are no community benefits clearly defined.”

Cllr Andrew Barrett-Miles (Con, Burgess Hill Town) felt expansion would have a ‘devastating impact on West Sussex’.

Cllr Liz Bennett (Con, East Grinstead Meridian) described the idea of putting a second runway at Gatwick as ‘barmy’.

Cllr Mike Glennon (Ukip, Lancing) asked why the county council had not produced detailed road infrastructure implications and costs if a second runway were approved, and warned that WSCC’s leadership risked ‘sleep walking naked and unarmed towards a sociological and environmental debacle’.

Cllr Peter Lamb (Lab, Northgate & Three Bridges), also leader of Crawley Borough Council,.argued for the county council to’adopt a neutral position’.

Many spoke in support of a second runway as a vehicle for growth in West Sussex, and its potential to bring skilled jobs to the area,especially for young people. Others felt it was not the right time to vote either way as it could affect their ability to negotiate mitigation measures if a second runway were recommended as the preferred option to central Government by the Airports Commission.

Cllr Sue Mullins (Lab, Gossops Green & Ifield East) disagreed, arguing that voting to oppose Gatwick would not stop them negotiating with anyone and ‘gives us a better bargaining position’.

Cllr Brenda Smith (Lab, Langley Green & West Green) added: “I think we owe the residents of West Sussex a straight answer as elected members as to how we feel.’

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