Britain’s approval of Gatwick Airport’s expansion was lawful, London’s High Court ruled on Tuesday, allowing the country’s second busiest hub to proceed with a plan to add millions of new passengers by 2030.
The opening of a second runway at Gatwick, situated 30 miles (48 km) south of London, was given the go-ahead by the government last year but faced a legal challenge brought by two environmental groups over noise and pollution.
Both groups, the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign and Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions, said they would look to appeal Tuesday’s ruling.
GOVERNMENT HAS BACKED NEW RUNWAY
The government has said the increasing use of sustainable aviation fuel means airport expansion is not incompatible with its net-zero targets, and has backed a new runway at Heathrow, the country’s biggest hub, and at Gatwick, where a second back-up runway will be converted into full use.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said on Monday he would step down after less than two years in the job, has backed infrastructure projects like airport expansion as a way to help grow Britain’s stagnant economy.
In the case of Gatwick, Judge Tim Mould dismissed the two claims seeking a judicial review of the expansion, saying the government’s reasons for granting approval were “rational and supported by proper, adequate and intelligible reasons”.
Mould also rejected arguments about the development’s environmental impact, saying it was not contradictory for the government to say it would not affect its ability to meet carbon reduction targets.
“We welcome the High Court’s decision to uphold our approval of expansion at Gatwick Airport,” a Department for Transport spokesperson said.
“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 £1 billion a year to benefit all four corners of the UK.”
NEW RUNWAY ‘COULD BE OPEN BY END OF DECADE’
A spokesperson for Gatwick said in a statement after the ruling: “We now look forward to turning our plans into reality and will announce further details in due course.”
Gatwick, which is owned by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners, said the new runway could open by the end of the decade, providing a £1 billion boost to the economy each year through trade and tourism and creating 14,000 jobs.
However the expansion of London’s two biggest airports, both of which are operating close to capacity, could yet be derailed by Starmer’s likely successor, Andy Burnham.
He has in the past warned that expanding Heathrow could deprive northern England of the investment it needs.
(Reporting by Sarah Young）
