Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has granted approval for a second runway at London Gatwick Airport, signaling the government’s focus on fostering economic growth.
The £2.2 billion project, financed privately, entails repositioning the existing Northern Runway by 12 meters to facilitate its regular operation. The scheme also includes expansions to the airport’s terminal facilities.
Airport officials assert that the development will stimulate job creation and bolster the regional economy. However, the proposal has faced consistent opposition from advocacy groups and local residents who cite concerns about the potential adverse effects on the surrounding environment.
Gatwick currently manages approximately 280,000 flights annually. The airport projects that the expansion will enable it to accommodate around 389,000 flights by the late 2030s.
A government source described the plans as a clear “benefit for growth,” suggesting that operational use of the new runway could commence before the next general election.
Located in West Sussex, London Gatwick is presently the busiest single-runway airport in Europe, serving over 40 million passengers each year.
The approved plans would permit an additional 40,000 flights prior to the second runway’s opening, followed by a further 70,000 flights—nearly 190 daily—once fully operational.
The airport estimates that passenger numbers could potentially reach 80 million.
Currently, the Northern Runway serves primarily as a taxiway or backup.
The second runway would cater to short-haul flights, while also freeing up capacity on the main runway for more long-haul services.
The decision on the expansion plan was initially anticipated in February, but the transport secretary only expressed her “intent to grant consent” for the planning application at that time.
Planning inspectors had previously voiced apprehensions regarding the potential impact of the proposals on various aspects of the surrounding area, including traffic and noise levels.
In April, Gatwick Airport agreed to implement stricter noise controls, an enhanced insulation program for local residents, and a target of 54% of air passengers using public transport before the Northern Runway’s launch.
To achieve this target, the airport stated that external stakeholders, including the Department for Transport, would need to “support delivery of the necessary conditions and improvements required to meet this target,” citing the reinstatement of the full Gatwick Express rail service as an example.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gatwick Express operated four trains per hour non-stop between the airport and London Victoria; this service was reduced to two trains per hour from 2022.
Gatwick Airport also proposed a limit on road traffic if the 54% public transport target could not be met before the Northern Runway’s initial use, addressing potential road congestion concerns.
It added that if neither the target nor the traffic limit could be achieved, the runway plans would be delayed until the necessary £350 million in road improvements had been completed.
“This would ensure any additional road traffic flows can be accommodated and any congestion avoided,” the airport said.
“This government has taken unprecedented steps to get this done, navigating a needlessly complex planning system, which our reforms will simplify in future,” the government source said.
“Any airport expansion must be delivered in line with our legally binding climate change commitments and meet strict environmental requirements.”
However, significant opposition to any expansion persists, particularly from climate activists.
Following the announcement of the transport secretary’s approval of Gatwick’s expansion plan, new Green Party leader Zack Polanski described it as a “disaster for the climate crisis.”
In February, Greenpeace UK policy director Douglas Parr stated that the extension would not stimulate economic growth, adding, “The only thing it’s set to boost is air pollution, noise, and climate emissions.”
Alex Chapman, senior economist at the New Economics Foundation, also argued that the move would not generate new jobs but simply redistribute them from other regions of the country.
“People are already perfectly able to catch cheap flights on holiday or travel for business,” he added.
Unite the Union general secretary Sharon Graham voiced support for Gatwick having a second runway but emphasized that it would need “to come with guarantees of well paid, unionised jobs and proper facilities for workers”.
Sally Pavey, chair of Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE), expressed concerns about “uncontrollable noise, ramifications on the roads, decline in air quality… and climate change”.
“We can’t keep ignoring climate change and it would be wrong to allow a new ‘bucket and spade’ runway, as we put it, at the expense of residents and the economy,” she said.
The group would pursue legal action through a judicial review if the expansion proceeds, she added.
Gatwick’s approval is the latest in a series of airport expansion approvals, most recently Luton’s in June.
The government has also expressed support for a third runway at Heathrow, the country’s largest airport, though that project would be considerably more complex, costly, and contentious.
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