1. 4 Wednesday, January 21, 2015 RGG-E02-S2 RGG-E02-S2 Wednesday, January 21, 2015 5
News
I Support
I Oppose
I Undecided Bewbush
Broadfield Furnace Green
Gossops Green Ifield
Langley Green Maidenbower
Northgate Pound Hill and Worth
Southgate Three Bridges
Tilgate West Green
43
(53.75%)
18
(22.5%)
19
(23.75%)
65
(59.1 %)
13
(11.8%)
32
(29.1%)
29
(40.8%)
20
(28.2%)
22
(31%)
28
(51%)
13
(23.6%)
14
(25.4%)
36
(46.7%)
25
(32.5%)
16
(20.8%)
40
(48.2%)
18
(21.7%)
25
(30.1%)
30
(60%)
11
(22%)
9
(18%)
32
(42.1%)
18
(23.7%)
26
(34.2%)
44
(46.9%)
31
(33%)
19
(20.1%)
49
(46.2%)
25
(23.6%)
32
(30.1%)
38
(65.5%)
7
(12.1%)
13
(22.4%)
28
(42.4%)
13
(19.7%)
25
(37.9%) 31
(41.9%)
23
(31.1%)
20
(27%)
How people
feel in your
part of town
What do you think?
I Michael Hawkins, 32, from
Ifield Road, West Green: “I
am in favour of a second
runway at Gatwick. It is going
to bring more jobs to the area
and more businesses will
move here so it’s got to be a
good thing. I don’t really notice
any noise from the planes. It
will be good for Crawley.”
I Jan Le-Payge, 60, from
Burrell Court, Bewbush: “My
mum used to have a bungalow
on the edge of the runway and
they want to knock it down.
Enough is enough. How far will
they go? That whole idea
about the Boris Island airport
was bloody stupid too.”
I Ronald Steenman, 47,
from Maunsell Park, Pound
Hill: “Heathrow actually needs
it more but I am not opposed
to a new runway at Gatwick.
We could do with a few more
destinations, such as
Frankfurt. A second runway
would obviously bring new
destinations.”
Chris Ballinger, Luke
Warren, Dave Comeau
and Kimberley Ballard
editor@crawleynews.co.uk
THE people of Crawley have
finally had their say on the
prospect of a second runway
being built at Gatwick Airport –
and those who have made their
mind up are overwhelmingly
backing expansion.
The Crawley News carried out
a survey of 1,000 residents picked
at random last week, asking for
their views on perhaps the biggest
decision in the town’s history.
A total of 493 people gave their
support to expansion at Gatwick,
compared to only 232 opposing the
plans, while the other 275 remain
undecided.
The results also revealed that in
every single neighbourhood those
in favour of Gatwick getting a
second runway outnumber those
against it.
We decided to carry out the
survey as councillors on Crawley
Borough Council will vote next
Monday on whether to back
expansion - but have not carried
out any such opinion poll.
Those residents in favour of a
second runway told us that they
felt its benefits would outweigh its
drawbacks.
Graham Mullen, 46, from
Cobnor Close, in Gossops Green,
said: “A second runway would
lead to so much more employment
at both Gatwick Airport and in
Crawley as a whole, plus it would
create job security for those who
already work at the airport.
“If a new runway goes to
Heathrow, how could people
currently working at Gatwick be
confident their jobs would be
safe? Expansion here would push
up the house prices across
Crawley and that with the extra
jobs would boost the economy of
the whole town.”
Residents living in Three
Bridges are most in favour of
expansion with 65.5 per cent
saying yes to a second runway. In
Maidenbower 60 per cent back
expansion and in Broadfield 59.1
per cent are in the yes camp.
Found
People living in Pound Hill and
Worth – which we combined
because of Worth’s small size –
and Ifield had the highest
proportions of residents voicing
their opposition – 33 per cent and
32.5 per cent respectively.
Despite this, more people in
both of these neighbourhoods still
backed expansion than opposed
it. Our survey also found more
women than men are against a
second runway.
Debbie Bennett, 53, from
Warren Drive, in Ifield, said she
does not see the benefit to Crawley
residents. She explained: “It
would fill the pockets of
businessmen but I don’t think this
would pass down into the town.
“More and more planes circling
above Crawley and the increase in
noise and pollution would harm
this town. I sympathise with the
businesses that would have to
close or move and the people who
could have to see their homes
bulldozed.”
A sizeable proportion of the
town still remains undecided,
with Tilgate the neighbourhood
where the most residents need
convincing one way or the other.
Out of the Tilgate residents who
took part in the survey 37.9 per
cent are undecided.
By comparison, Maidenbower
residents seem to have mostly
made up their minds because only
18 per cent said they are yet to
commit to backing either the yes
or no campaigns.
Among them is Sara
Abrahams, 38, from Lucerne
Drive, who said: “Gatwick bangs
the drum about creating new jobs
and the boost to the economy but I
don’t think they have properly
laid out yet what building a
second runway would mean for
Crawley.
“Where would the extra homes
needed go? What would happen to
the roads throughout Crawley?
Have they considered the traffic
that could build up throughout
the town? Gatwick needs to give
us more information.”
When broken down to different
age groups our investigation
found 35 to 50-year-olds are most
in favour of expansion.
Crawley Borough Council is
holding a special full council
meeting at the Town Hall on
Monday (January 26), where
councillors will decide whether to
support or oppose airport
expansion.
Council leader Peter Lamb said
the Labour group is holding a
meeting tonight (Wednesday) to
sign off the decision on whether to
give their councillors a free vote
at the meeting.
Stunned
He said he would be “stunned”
if councillors were to be whipped
– meaning they would be told to
vote along party lines.
Cllr Lamb added that he and
fellow Labour councillors have
found residents to be largely split
on the issue. However, he was not
surprised our survey found more
in favour than against.
He said: “There are cases for
both sides. For example, I think
the economic argument has been
downplayed but at the same time
there is more planning about
housing and infrastructure that
still needs to be developed.
“It will be a government
decision either way in the end and
I think we should be using this
time to get the most that we can
out of the government and
Gatwick Airport to make sure
Crawley is prepared if a second
runway is selected here.”
Councillor Bob Lanzer, the
town’s shadow cabinet member
for planning and economic
development, confirmed that
Conservative councillors will
have a free vote at the meeting.
He was “slightly surprised” by
the number of people who are
undecided, adding that residents
he has spoken to have been
“overwhelmingly” against
expansion.
He added: “From a Crawley-
centric point of view I am not in
support of Gatwick Airport
getting a second runway. I fear
that when it comes to Crawley the
pain would outweigh the gain.”
Cllr Lanzer pointed out that the
500 homes to be built between
Crawley and Copthorne, 1,900 at
Forge Wood, 2,500 at Kilnwood
Vale and 900 in Broadbridge
Heath will not meet Crawley’s and
Horsham’s housing needs up to
2023, without factoring in the
extra homes needed if a second
runway is built.
Members of the public are
invited to attend the full council
meeting on Monday to hear what
stance the council will take on the
issue. Monday’s meeting at the
Town Hall starts at 7.30pm.
Fewer than 1 in 4Fewer than 1 in 4 against second runwayagainst second runway
Our surOur survevey of 1,000 people shows that far morey of 1,000 people shows that far more CraCrawlewley residents suppory residents support expansion at Gatwick than oppose itt expansion at Gatwick than oppose it
Breakdown by gender
Men Women
258
(57.5%)
235
(42.6%)
81
(18%)
110
(24.5%)
151
(27.4%)
165
(30%)
I Support
I Oppose
I Undecided
News
BALANCING ACT: People living nearby
expressed concern over aircraft noise
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