Member Article

County Council votes to oppose plans for second runway at Gatwick

West Sussex County Council has voted to oppose a second runway at Gatwick Airport today.

After approving its draft response to the Airports Commission, councillors today voted nearly unanimously against the authority’s leadership in favour of a motion expressing its opposition to a new runway atGatwick Airport.

According to Chichester Online, Conservative Peter Griffiths put forward the motion as an amendment to one put forward by fellow Tory Bill Acraman, 18 months after the county council voted to support a second runway ‘in principle’ subject to environmental considerations.

Earlier today, the airporty stated it would becomethe “world’s most efficient two-runway airport” if new designs to revamp the airport were to be implemented.

The Sussex airport has commissioned the designs for a second runway from Sir Terry Farrell in a bid to eliminate queues and speed up aircraft turnaround times.

A spokesman for the airport said: “An expanded Gatwick would be the world’s most efficient two-runway airport - flexible and responsive to meet the changing needs of passengers and airlines.

“The plans demonstrate how queues will be eliminated, passenger transit through the airport will be sped up.”

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