High Court Clears Gatwick Runway Expansion

Overview

• The High Court dismissed legal challenges on Tuesday, with Mr Justice Mould ruling the government’s environmental and climate assessment lawful and the campaigners’ claims without foundation.
• The judge accepted the project will have moderately adverse environmental effects but found those harms did not make the transport secretary’s approval unlawful.
• Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander approved the scheme in September to convert Gatwick’s emergency runway into a full runway shifted 12 metres north, enabling about 100,000 extra flights a year.
• Gatwick and the Department for Transport say the plan will support about 14,000 jobs and deliver roughly £1bn a year to the economy, while campaigners say funding for local infrastructure, sewage upgrades, noise insulation and air quality measures remains unresolved and are weighing an appeal.
• The Planning Inspectorate initially rejected the original application for weak noise and transport mitigation but later recommended approval after revised measures such as triple glazing and support for moving costs were added, and the airport could move to construction steps that proponents say may finish around 2029.