The Sussex Property Alliance’s September meeting saw Alison Addy and Emma Rees from Gatwick Airport updating members on the bid for a second runway at Gatwick which, along with competing proposals from Heathrow, is presently being considered by Sir Howard Davies, the chair of the Airports Commission for a decision post next year’s election.
Alison, the Planning and Stakeholder Engagement Manager on the Airports Commission Project Team, gave a fascinating insight into Gatwick’s plans before taking part in a Q&A with her colleague Emma Rees, Head of Real Estate and Surface Transport at the airport.
The airports bid is of course multi-faceted and addresses everything from the ecological effects of a second runway, to the engineering approach to the build itself and the transport implications to the economic impact on the area.
Of particular interest to Alliance members was the strategy to deal with the displacement of an estimated 163 residential buildings and 286 business related properties including officing and warehousing at Lowfield Heath, City Place and on the northern edge of Manor Royal. The airport has already formulated a plan for compensating the owners of private residences, whilst on the point of the displaced commercial buildings, Gatwick is looking at providing land at the edge of the airport to facilitate the replacement of commercial stock.
Sir Howard Davies recently said that: “The need for additional capacity is urgent. We need to focus on solutions which are deliverable, affordable, and set the right balance for the future of aviation in the UK.” In a show of hands following the presentation there was no doubt at all that members of the Sussex Property Alliance see the Gatwick bid as being their preferred option in terms of providing that capacity.
Robert Dowling, who heads the Property and Construction team at Carpenter Box (pictured), added his support to the airport’s bid saying: “Given the positive impact a second runway at Gatwick will have on the south east and on UK competitiveness in maintaining our position as Europe’s most important aviation hub, I’m delighted Alliance members have given their support to the bid. I would also like to call upon our local MPs to add their support. This major strategic development is important to the economy of Sussex and Surrey and to the livelihood of many of their constituents, and in my view they should, ahead of the election next year, make their support known”.
The Sussex Property Alliance is sponsored by Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers Carpenter Box, who have a specialist property and construction team, commercial agents Michael Jones, JELF who provide specialist insurance to the sector and by Bennett Griffin solicitors who undertake commercial property work.