Gatwick second runway to be brought into full use after Government wins legal challenge
The £2.2 billion expansion will see the West Sussex airport move its emergency runway 12 metres north to accommodate around 100,000 more flights a year
Gatwick's second runway can now be brought into full use after the High Court dismissed a legal challenge looking to block expansion plans.
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Peter Barclay and campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) previously took legal action against the Department for Transport over the decision to approve the plans, including over claims that the Government did not properly assess the climate impact of the scheme.
The £2.2 billion expansion, approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander in September, will see the West Sussex airport move its emergency runway 12 metres north to accommodate around 100,000 more flights a year.
The High Court dismissed the challenges in June, with Mr Justice Mould finding that it was “neither illogical nor contradictory” for Mrs Alexander not to refuse the proposed development “on the basis that it would have a material impact on the ability of Government to meet its carbon reduction targets”.
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He also rejected an argument about the need for the expansion at Gatwick, given the proximity to Heathrow.
Last month, Mr Barclay and Cagne asked the Court of Appeal to allow them to challenge the ruling, claiming that the judge was wrong.
But in a ruling on Tuesday, Lord Justice Holgate and Lord Justice Dove dismissed the appeal bids.
In a 29-page ruling, they said: “We conclude that each of the grounds of appeal raised by each appellant is unarguable.
“Neither appeal has a real prospect of success. We also consider that there are no other compelling reasons for either appeal to be heard.”
The two senior judges also said that Mr Justice Mould’s ruling was “detailed and thorough”.
Gatwick is the UK’s second busiest airport and one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world.
The expansion will allow the site to be used for the departures of narrow-bodied planes such as Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s, with the first flights expected to take off from the new runway in 2030.
This is a major milestone for Gatwick for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.
Following Tuesday’s decision, Mrs Alexander said: “This is a major milestone for Gatwick and for local communities, with expansion unlocking investment and creating thousands of new jobs.
“Around 13 million more passengers and 100,000 more flights will give holidaymakers greater choice and strengthen global links to help make the UK one of the most attractive places in the world to invest.
“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.”