Gatwick expansion green-lit as court throws out activists’ appeal
Work on Gatwick Airport’s second runway can get under way after the Court of Appeal kicked out a legal challenge against the expansion project.
Legal appeals brought by local resident Peter Barclay and the environmental group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) against the expansion of Gatwick Airport have failed in court for the second time a month.
Last year, Heidi Alexander, the secretary of state for transport, approved Gatwick Airport’s plans for a second runway, which is expected to create as many as 14,000 new jobs and provide a £1bn annual boost to the UK economy.
The £2.2bn project will see Gatwick’s existing standby northern runway moved 12 metres north, taxiways reconfigured, and terminal buildings expanded to safely support routine dual-runway operations.
When the first flights take off from the extended Northern Runway in 2030, the expansion will add 100,000 additional flights each year and build on the dozens of destinations currently offered.
Government faced uphill legal battle
However, over the last year, the government has faced legal action by the environmental group, which sought a judicial review over the plan.
The parties went to a hearing in January at the High Court before Mr Justice Mould, who in June handed down his ruling, dismissing the pair of legal challenges. In a rapid move, the Court of Appeal heard an appeal application a month after Mould’s decision.
On Tuesday, Lord Justice Holgate and Lord Justice Dove handed down their ruling, refusing permission to appeal and dismissing the applications.
Commenting on the decision, Alexander said: “This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.”
“We’ll back expansion that supports growth and our climate goals. To drive forward sustainable change, we’re also investing over £219m for green fuel production to cut emissions from flying and secure the future of aviation,” she added.