A secret dossier setting out plans by Gatwick to lobby leading opinion formers against expansion at rival Heathrow has been detailed after reportedly having been left on a train.
The document proposes drawing up “target” lists of politicians, civil servants, business leaders and environmentalists whose opinion may influence the Airports Commission, The Sunday Times reported.
As well as persuading them to speak out in favour of a second runway at Gatwick, the strategy aims to “neutralise the prevailing default bias that we perceive exists in favour of Heathrow”.
The dossier also reveals how Gatwick commissioned a noise study that undermines a key claim by Heathrow that fewer people would suffer aircraft noise if it were given the green light to build a third runway and increase the number of flights using the airport each year from 469,000 to 740,000.
Heathrow claims the number of people “significantly annoyed” by aircraft noise would drop from the current 237,350 to between 187,000 and 202,900, even with an additional runway, thanks to quieter aircraft and steeper landing approaches.
Gatwick disputes Heathrow’s “disingenuous” figures and commissioned the Civil Aviation Authority to model the noise impact of its rival’s third runway proposal.
That report shows the number of people affected by noise at Heathrow would actually increase by 20,650 to 258,000 once the runway was at its full capacity, according to the dossier.
Heathrow said that its noise figures were also based on CAA modelling and accused Gatwick of failing to publish all the technical documents related to its own expansion plans.
“It is a shame that the only way anyone can scrutinise Gatwick’s plans is when their executives leave documents on a train,” a Heathrow spokeswoman told the newspaper.
The CAA defended its contradictory findings, saying the results depend on different assumptions given to it by Gatwick and Heathrow.
“Different results occur depending on the traffic forecasts, aircraft types and the routes they fly and population densities provided to us,” a spokesman said.
The dossier includes plans to compile a list of around 100 “gold tier” individuals whose opinion will have most influence on the commission.
It also outlines the importance of persuading the targets’ “close advisers”, who make up a so-called “silver tier”, of the merits of Gatwick’s case.
“Opinion leaders will have their own point of view, but they will also be informed and advised by people they trust and rely on,” it reportedly says. “Therefore in order to convert them to our cause, we must also win over this second group of individuals to our argument.”
A Gatwick spokeswoman said: “This is the first time that Gatwick has ever been able to forcefully put its case forward for expansion. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to know therefore that we would want as many people as possible to understand the merits of our case.”