Legal challenges against the Department for Transport’s approval of a two-runway expansion at Gatwick Airport have been definitively rejected by the Court of Appeal. Campaigner Peter Barclay and the advocacy group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions had initially contested the government’s decision, arguing that climate impacts of the scheme were not adequately evaluated.
The proposed £2.2 billion expansion would involve relocating the airport’s emergency runway 12 meters northward to accommodate approximately 100,000 additional annual flights. In a previous ruling during June, Mr Justice Mould had found the government’s decision to be neither illogical nor contradictory, rejecting arguments that the project would materially impede the government’s carbon reduction commitments. He also dismissed contentions that the expansion was unnecessary given Heathrow’s proximity.
Last month, Barclay and Cagne sought permission to challenge the earlier decision, claiming the judge had erred. However, Lords Justice Holgate and Dove issued a ruling on Tuesday determining that all grounds of appeal presented were “unarguable” and possessed no realistic likelihood of success. The senior judges described the previous court decision as “detailed and thorough.”
Following the ruling, Barclay stated his disappointment and reiterated concerns that the approval decision lacked proper government policy support and prioritized airport and airline interests over local residents and environmental considerations. Cagne similarly emphasized concerns regarding costs to taxpayers and environmental impacts. Pierre-Hugues Schmit, chief executive of London Gatwick, characterized the approval as having been “taken properly and lawfully” and indicated the organization would advance toward the design and delivery phases of the Northern Runway project. The airport operator projected the development would generate 14,000 jobs and deliver approximately £1 billion in annual economic benefit.
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