Gatwick expansion cleared for take-off, court rules
Gatwick Airport moved a step closer to breaking ground on its eagerly anticipated expansion today after a court dismissed a pair of legal challenges brought by local campaigners.
In a ruling, High Court judge Mr Justice Mould said the government’s assessment of the project’s environmental and climate impact was “lawful and reasonable” and branded the local opposition’s complaints as being “without foundation”.
Campaigners had argued that Heidi Alexander, the secretary of state for transport, failed to lay out a feasible means of funding essential infrastructure or improve local sewage treatments in her department’s blueprint for the expansion published in September.
The Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emmissions (CAGNE) also objected to the increased noise burden and detrimental effect on air quality that the £2.2bn expansion will mean for the local area.
But the judge dismissed the group’s two claims for a judicial review, in a decision that paves the way for the expansion of Britain’s second-largest airport.
A spokesperson for Gatwick Airport hailed the judgment as a “victory for common sense”, adding: “Our exciting plans will deliver significant business, tourism and trade benefits for the UK, including 14,000 new jobs and a £1bn boost to the economy every year.”
A spokesperson for Department for Transport said: “This is a project that balances our environmental and climate commitments with huge economic benefits – bringing around 14,000 new jobs to local people and delivering £1bn a year to benefit all four corners of the UK.”
Alexander approved plans for the multi-billion-pound project last autumn, which will see the south London hub convert its existing emergency runway into a fully functional strip.
The aviation hub will need to shift the runway 12 metres north in order for it to be used full-time for the departures of smaller, short-haul planes. The expansion is expected to create as many as 14,000 new jobs and provide a £1bn annual boost to the UK economy.
Alexander hailed the development, which could be wrapped by 2029, as a “no-brainer” in the government’s battle to revive Britain’s stuttering economy. The Planning Inspectorate had initially rejected Gatwick’s application, saying its original plans had failed to mitigate the added noise sufficiently and account for the higher volume of passengers travelling to and from the airport on public transport.
As part of the same decision, the body also recommended the transport secretary rubber stamp the revised plans once they rectified those initial objections. The revamped plans included measures like paying for residents’ triple glazing as well as offering to fund estate agent and stamp duty fees, allowing Alexander to green light the expansion.
CAGNE said it was now weighing whether to appeal, and vowed not to “accept this ruling as the final word”.
The group added: “Communities across Sussex, Surrey and Kent helped fund this legal action because they have grave and legitimate concerns about the proposed expansion, the lack of airport funding for essential infrastructure, the absence of proper investment in sewage treatment, the increased noise burden on local residents, worsening air quality, and the significant rise in CO2 and other harmful emissions.”