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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 2219.PDF
188 FLIGHT CIVIL AVIATION THE GATWICK REPORT SOON after the Government's decision, announced in July 1952, to develop Gatwick as a bad-weather alternative to London Airport, it became evident that local resistance to the project was unusually strong and well co-ordinated. Since there are no large stretches of barren ground naturally suitable for the siting of an airport within reasonable distance of London, it was inevitable that any site selected would have been described as unsuitable by the affected citizens. In die case of Gatwick, however, opposition was so powerful that the Minister of Housing and Local Government was forced, last January, to appoint a public inquiry into the objections to the Gatwick scheme. Sir Colin Campbell, who was chosen to make the inquiry, has now issued his report, which was published as a White Paper on July 20th. He concludes that "On balance I consider the Minis try's contention that Gatwick is a 'suitable' site for an aerodrome for the purposes for which they intend to use it was established. As to whether it is the most suitable site which could be found, it is not, because of the limitations of the scope of the inquiry, possible for me to express an opinion." Sir Colin's terms of reference were as follows: "The purpose of die Inquiry is to hear and report on local objections to the pro posed development of Gatwick as a piajor airport. Local objec tions mean objections relating to the suitability of the site chosen for the purpose or to the effect of -the proposed development on local interests. In addition, it will be open to objectors to suggest detailed modification of the scheme on the site as now proposed. It will not, however, be open/to them to question the need to provide a major airport to serye as an alternative to London Air port nor to make proposals jfe to how that need should be met." The report summarizes /evidence given for and against the Gatwick plan during the.jfourse of the inquiry, which was held at Horley, Surrey, froim March 16th to April 8th. It will be recalled that diere are three uses to which the Ministry of Trans port and Civil Aviation proposes to put a developed Gatwick Airport: (a) to be the^nain alternative airport for diversions from London Airport; (bl to take over from London Airport and Northolt certain syvices, particularly to the Channel Islands and near continentsB points, which operate at seasonal peaks; (c) to serve as a base foriharter flying. The case for rjfte Ministry was opened at the inquiry by Mr. Michael Rowe, ptho summarized the Gatwick plan as follows: "Stage I of theiproposals covers the use of 600 acres of land on which will be * constructed the southern runway of 7,000ft, a Maintenance Area and Terminal Area. A considerable diversion of the main London-Brighton road (A.23) and of a few minor roads will be necessary, a land drainage scheme involving the diversion of waterways must be carried out, and between 60 and 70 dwellings destroyed. All this and other work and acquisitions will, it is estimated, cost £6m. Stage II provides for the acquisition and incorporation of 400-500 more acres of land, the construction of a northern runway of 6,000ft and a subsidiary runway of 4,000ft, running north-east/south-west between die two main runways, at PLAN FOR TOMORROW: Differences between the Comet 3 and its predecessors are pronounced in this view from beneath. The new Comet, now at the beginning of its flight trials, is not due to enter service before 1956. Orders have been placed by B.O.A.C., P.A.W.A. and Air-India. a total estimated cost of £4m. The total area of the aerodrome would dien be about 1,100 acres." Mr. Rowe emphasized that the first essential for a new airport was that it should fit in to the air traffic control system operating in the part of the country where it is to be situated. He admitted that in 1949 the Government had twice stated that it was not intended to develop Gatwick, but said that when these assurances were given it was believed "that a period of peace was likely to be ahead" but that "since that time the re-armament ^programme has commenced and Stansted aerodrome, which it was hoped would be used as an alternative for London Airport, is now practically unusable for civil aircraft. Secondly*' the growth of air traffic to the south-east of London has been very much greater than was anticipated . . ." The Ministry's Director of Control aivff Navigation, Capt. V. A. M. Hunt, confirmed that the Gatwicfe&ite was suitable from an air-traffic control point of view, and JAi. G. W. Stallibrass, Director of Aerodromes (Technical), teplfified that in relation to international standards, Gatwick wouldrbe better than any U.K. airport, other than London AirpojF At Gatwick die only departure from I.C.A.O. practices wgplld be to permit objects pro jecting not more than 25ft above jEe normal approach gradient at Russ Hill to remain. Statisticsjmt forward by Mr. A. C. Best, of the Air Ministry Meteorolopcal Office, showed that it was possible to use Gatwick on abofft 50 per cent of occasions when L.A.P. was closed by weatherjfMr. Best said that despite radia tion fog, which was more lik^ry at Gatwick than at London Air port, and apart from the possibility of pollution from Crawley [due to future industrial development at the new town], he would be perfectly happy to see me airpqrt put at Gatwick; he did not think, however, that a decision should be made on meteorological grounds. Two Corporation pildfts spoke in favour of the project. Capt. P. E. Bressey, B.E.A., djfd not regard the presence of Russ Hill a' a danger to aircraft coming in from the west if all proposed aids were available and vporking, but said that large, long-distance aircraft might be restricted as to weight when taking off to the west. A B.O.A.C.IStratocruiser pilot, Capt. John Woodman, chairman of B.A.L.f .A., expressed the opinion that he wodd be prepared to land on the southern runway, if all facilities were installed, with a 300ft cloud base. Without I.L.S., which he estimated to be inoperative about '^'P? cent of the time, he would regard 5OO-600tt cloud base and forward vision of :;ie two miles as appropriate minima. Board of B.A.L.P.A. had no tec objection to the proposed developm Gatwick. Evidence was given by Mr. J. Ivimy (head of the division c M.T.C.A. responsible for the g The nical at of ". L. the ieral D.E.T.A. DOVE: Six Dove feederliners which is seen in this picture, are ami fleet operated from Portuguese East Af' Divisao de Exploracao des Transportes e of the a b, ires-
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