Campaigning influences Gatwick Airport expansion proposals

Transport Secretary of State, Heidi Alexander indicated in a Written Ministerial Statement on 27 February 2025 that she is ‘minded to approve’ Gatwick Airport’s plans if changes are made to the ‘Development Control Order’ granting permission – with a final decision by October.

A decision to approve a second runway at Gatwick Airport, subject to changes to some of the planning conditions, would be bad economics and ‘totally incompatible with the single biggest threat to our countryside’ – the growing climate crisis. There’s a however a little ray of light that the Government didn’t just give full permission straight away.

In the full judgement of the Planning Inspectors, it’s really significant that they recommended refusal on the  basis of Gatwick’s own proposal. The Planning Inspectorate only suggest that  it might be possible to approve Gatwick Airport’s plans if there are some changes, which the Planning Inspectorate is proposing.

It’s really striking how much of an impact CPRE Sussex and the host of other groups we work with had on the Inspectors’ thinking. Initially, the Planning Inspectorate hadn’t proposed having a hearing dedicated to climate change. The Chair of CPRE Sussex successfully lobbied for this, and went on to make a powerful case for how damaging the plans are from a climate point of view. He effectively demolished the reliance on the government’s ‘Jet Zero Strategy’ which is over-optimistic on technologies such as ‘Sustainable’ Aviation Fuels.

The Planning Inspectorate concluded: “Our judgment is that it is likely that, having taken account of the Jet Zero Strategy, the Proposed Development would have a material effect on achieving carbon targets. Harm has also been found in matters of traffic and transport, ecology, noise, the water environment, health and wellbeing, and landscape and townscape. Great weight must also be given to harm to heritage assets”.

This is a major step change, as previously emissions from aviation have often been considered to be not significant in planning terms.

The Chair of CPRE Sussex with CAGNE (Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions) also made the case about the water and sewage issues arising from Gatwick Airport’s proposals. In response the Planning Inspectorate has required Gatwick Airport to work with Thames Water on a new water treatment plant – which is not something Gatwick Airport wanted to do.

CAGNE, and others including CPRE Sussex, highlighted the impacts of surface transport and especially noise – and the Planning Inspectorate is imposing new conditions on both.

This all shows that campaigning has a real effect – and that we now need to redouble our efforts over the coming months to affect the final decision due in October.

CAGNE and CPRE Sussex stand ready to support legal challenges after October. We are however aware that the government intends to make legal challenges harder. We hope that delaying a final decision until the autumn isn’t simply a ruse to deflect the possibility of judicial review…..

Read: CPRE Sussex Press release Gatwick Decision