London Gatwick Airport has received Governmental approval to build a second, Northern runway after over four years of discussions and consultations. Currently, the airport is suggesting the construction could be finalised by 2030, but this is unconfirmed as of yet.
The plans were approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and will use the existing Northern Runway, which currently serves as a taxiway for when the Main Runway is out of use. The airport anticipates that a second runway will increase capacity by up to 80 million passengers a year and will create 14,000 new jobs.
The application was initially submitted by the airport to the Planning Inspectorate in July 2023, with the development including amendments to taxiways, terminal extensions and ancillary facilities, highways, and rivers. It is estimated to cost GBP 2.2 billion, which will be privately financed.
“After a lengthy and rigorous planning process, we welcome the Government’s approval of plans to bring our Northern Runway into routine use, ahead of the expected deadline,” said Stewart Wingate, VINCI Airports Managing Director for United Kingdom. “This is another important gateway in the planning process for this GBP 2.2bn investment, which is fully funded by our shareholders and will unlock significant growth, tourism and trade benefits for London Gatwick and the UK and create thousands of jobs.
Wingate continued: “As we’ve said previously, it is essential that any planning conditions enable us to realise the full benefits of the project and do not impose unnecessary constraints that make it uneconomic to invest in. We now need to carefully examine the details of the planning consent. Once we have done that, we will be able to comment further.”
“We welcome the approval of Gatwick Airport’s plans to bring its Northern Runway into use by the transport secretary,” said Karen Dee, Chief Executive of AirportsUK. “This represents GBP 2.2bn of private investment that will create 14,000 jobs and contribute £1bn annually to the region’s economy. UK airports already contribute GBP 1bn a week in gross value added, support nearly 1m jobs, and facilitate almost GBP 100bn in trade through air freight. Expanding capacity at our airports, which will take place in accordance with the sector’s commitment to sustainability and decarbonisation by 2050, will support economic growth. There is still a lot of work to be done, however, and we will continue to engage on behalf of all UK airports to deliver the growth we need.”
There are strong oppositions to the runway plans from both a sustainability perspective and a local resident perspective, with concerns over increased flights contributing to climate change, noise pollution, and congestion on the roads and public transport in the local area.
Lee May, partner at DMH Stallard and a specialist in UK planning law, commented: “Those opposed to the airport’s expansion now have a six-week window of opportunity to challenge the Development Consent Order in the High Court. The project has faced significant opposition from environmental campaigners and some local residents, with concerns being expressed around how the proposal fits in with the government’s commitment to minimising carbon emissions and the impact on local residents through noise, air pollution and additional traffic generation. So, it is possible that legal challenges will be brought.”
May added: “Given the national significance of the project, any legal challenge will be given high priority by the court, the airport operators and the government will hope for a speedy resolution. But with the possibility of further appeals to the Court of Appeal and eventually to the Supreme Court it may be many months before a final decision is reached and work can get underway.”
Regional Gateway asked London Gatwick Airport how this decision will impact the wider aviation sector and regional airports. A spokesperson responded:
“Additional capacity will provide further opportunities for airline innovation and passenger choice at London Gatwick, building on the positive impact that competition has already made to passenger experience. It will also open up opportunities for new domestic connections into regional airports from London Gatwick.”
Photo: London Gatwick Airport
