Campaigners consider appeal after Gatwick bids fail

Campaigners opposing Gatwick Airport expansion have lost two High Court challenges against the government but have said they will consider an appeal.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander approved a £2.2bn plan in September to move Gatwick's emergency runway 12 metres north, allowing a two-runway operation.

The anti-noise group Cagne and campaigner Peter Barclay told a hearing in January the scheme was unlawful, claiming the government had not properly assessed climate impact.

Ruling earlier, Mr Justice Mould dismissed both bids, concluding the scheme would not "materially impact" the government's ability to meet net zero targets - a decision London Gatwick called a "victory for common sense".

The Department for Transport (DfT) and the airport's owner, Gatwick Airport Limited, had defended the challenge, with lawyers for the site claiming it was "unarguable".

The scheme is expected to increase Gatwick's capacity from about 280,000 flights a year currently, to 389,000 by the late 2030s.

Travel journalist Simon Calder said the expansion of Gatwick Airport was "the first meaningful airport expansion in decades".

"Certainly for the economy of the Gatwick area, and for travellers in south east England, this is nothing but an overwhelming positive," he added.

In a 100-page judgment, the judge also rejected an argument against the need for expansion at the airport, given its proximity to Heathrow, which is about 40 miles (64 km) away via the M25.

The judge said the DfT had considered the West Sussex airport primarily a leisure airport, largely served by low-cost carriers, with passenger numbers expected to grow.

Mr Justice Mould said Alexander had "considered both the need for and the socio-economic effects of the proposed development to be important".

He added: "Her conclusions are rational and supported by proper, adequate and intelligible reasons."

After the ruling, Cagne (Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions), said it would not accept the judgment "as the final word".

The group said its legal team would consider an appeal, adding that it would continue to "stand up for the communities who will be forced to live with the consequences of this expansion".

Campaigners said communities across Kent, Surrey and Sussex had helped fund the legal action because they had "grave and legitimate" concerns, including funding for infrastructure, sewerage treatment, noise, air quality and emissions.

Sally Pavey, from Cagne, had previously said the plans were "not making best use of existing runways".

Barclay, chairman of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, said the independent Climate Change Committee and the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee had recommended against airport expansion, adding: "The expansion decision ignores that advice."

He said the upshot seemed to be "that noise policies are not worth the paper they are written on".

Both Cagne and Barclay challenged the government's planning decision via judicial review.

Horsham MP John Milne said it was "disappointing", adding: "The government has yet to make a clear case that the expansion of Gatwick, along with Heathrow and Luton, can ever be compatible with meeting their own environmental targets."

He also said thousands of homes were planned to be built next to the expanding airport.

"It's difficult to see how all this makes strategic sense," he said.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said: "We are pleased with today's High Court ruling to uphold the government's careful decision to grant planning approval for our Northern Runway Project.

"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. This is a victory for common sense."

A DfT spokesperson welcomed the High Court ruling, adding: "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."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.