High court rejects campaigners claim that Gatwick Airport expansion decision was unlawful

The High Court has rejected a bid by local campaign groups who claimed that the Governments decision to allow the Gatwick Airport expansion was unlawful.

Campaigners Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) and Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) brought the action which claimed that the impact of the second runway had not been properly assessed by the government when approving the plans but this was wholly dismissed.

They also claimed that climate impacts had also not been considered but this was also found not to be the case.

Gatwick Airport welcomed the “victory for common sense” saying: “Our exciting plans will deliver significant business, tourism and trade benefits for the UK, including 14,000 new jobs and a £1bn boost to the economy every year,”

“We now look forward to turning our plans into reality and will announce further details in due course.”

The Department of Transport also welcomed the decision saying: “This is a project that balances our environmental and climate commitments with huge economic benefits – bringing around 14,000 new jobs to local people and delivering £1bn a year to benefit all four corners of the UK”

Gatwick Airport’s expansion proposal centres on bringing its existing Northern Runway into regular use alongside the Main Runway. Rather than constructing a brand-new runway, the project would reposition the Northern Runway by 12 metres to comply with international safety standards, allowing it to support simultaneous operations. This would increase the airport’s capacity and enable it to handle significantly more flights and passengers each year.

The wider scheme also includes extensions to both terminals, new aircraft stands and taxiways, improved baggage handling facilities and upgrades to surrounding road infrastructure. Together, these improvements are designed to accommodate future growth, reduce congestion on the airfield and enhance the overall passenger experience while making more efficient use of Gatwick’s existing site.

Campaigners now have 7 days to lodge an appeal against the courts decision.