Gatwick claims Heathrow’s third runway plans leave local households out of pocket

Households near Heathrow’s proposed third runway will receive “inadequate” compensation for necessary noise insulation, Gatwick airport has claimed.

According to the UK’s second-busiest airport, plans to offer compensation for installing noise insulation are unfavourable to local residents of Heathrow, as both airports plan to build new runways.

Gatwick said it had offered households £6,500. Heathrow’s expansion plans, by comparison, suggest it will pay £3,000.

The Crawley aviation hub added that it will pay £4,500 to people exposed to lower noise levels, while Heathrow will pay nothing under the current proposal.

“Unless these inadequacies are addressed, hundreds of thousands of residents stand to be significantly disadvantaged because they live near London Heathrow. This will have an even greater impact on those who are newly overflown due to the airspace changes that are necessary”, said Gatwick.

The airport has called on the Transport Committee to ensure that community compensation levels are set at a level which is at least equal to recently approved airport Development Consent Orders at Gatwick and Luton.

Gatwick submitted the claims to Parliament’s Transport Committee in response to the draft Heathrow expansion national policy statement published by the Department for Transport in June.

The draft will be used as the basis for making a decision on whether to grant planning consent for a third runway at Heathrow airport.

Gatwick airport said: “The Transport Committee must assure itself that communities around London Heathrow are treated no less favourably than those around Gatwick, especially in relation to receptor-based noise mitigation and air (and ground) noise limits.

“This is particularly important given that the number of people affected by noise at Heathrow is around 20 times higher than it is at Gatwick, so that any inequalities in treatment will impact a very large number of people.”

In response to the compensation claims, Heathrow called the two aviation hubs “entirely different environments” with contrasting night curfews and surrounding areas.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: “The comparison isn’t like-for-like. Gatwick operates 24 hours a day with no ban on night flights. While they are providing slightly higher compensation in lower noise areas, it is for a far narrower pool of people impacted.

“Heathrow’s offer of fully funded insulation applies to a wider area than Gatwick’s, benefitting more of those most affected by noise. The reality is Gatwick and Heathrow operate in different environments, which is why noise insulation schemes are adapted to local impacts.”

Read more: Everything you need to know about Heathrow’s expansion plans