Gatwick has been given qualified consent to operate a second runway after the government “set out a path to expansion” for London’s second biggest airport.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, was “minded to approve” the £2.2bn expansion scheme, according to a government source, but has yet to ratify the development consent order that could allow more than 100,000 extra flights a year at the West Sussex airport.
Planning inspectors had recommended rejecting Gatwick’s project, which will modify an emergency runway and taxiway to allow it to be used alongside its existing main runway, but suggested it could be approved if conditions on noise and public transport access to the airport were met.
The airport will have until a new deadline of 24 April to accept further conditions for the scheme to go ahead.
The source said: “The transport secretary has set out a path to approving the expansion of Gatwick today following the planning inspectorate’s recommendation to refuse the original application.
“Expansion will bring huge benefits for business and represents a victory for holidaymakers. We want to deliver this opportunity in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.
“We look forward to Gatwick’s response as they have indicated planes could take off from a new runway before the end of this parliament.”
Gatwick has said the scheme will boost the local economy and create thousands of jobs, as well as growing its global flight network.
Beyond the carbon emissions and noise of additional flights, local campaigners are also concerned by the impact on housing provision, wastewater treatment and potential congestion on local roads and rail.
The second runway, big enough to be used for takeoff by typical short-haul passenger jets, will increase the total annual number of flights to 380,000, with passenger numbers going up from 45 million to 75 million a year.
Gatwick first launched the scheme – branded a second runway by the backdoor by opponents – in 2018, soon after it lost out to Heathrow in seeking approval for expansion by the Airports Commission.
Planning inspectors submitted recommendations on the scheme to the transport secretary in November, and Alexander had until Thursday to make a decision.
Rapid growth in air travel since the pandemic has led a number of airports to seek expansion, and the Labour government, particularly the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has signalled its backing for the industry to grow, in the face of environmental concerns. Alexander told an industry dinner earlier this week that she “loved flying” and was “ambitious for the sector”.
Heathrow will submit plans and policy demands for a third runway this summer, while Luton airport’s development plans are awaiting ministerial signoff by early April.
Local campaigners signalled they would seek to overturn Alexander’s decision in the courts.
Peter Barclay, the chair of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, said the group would “legally challenge this dangerous and irresponsible decision”, adding: “We are calling out the government’s failure to recognise Gatwick’s false economic claims and its plans to fly in the face of climate breakdown.”
