Gatwick Expansion Legal Challenge Rejected By Court Of Appeal

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Campaigners have lost a bid to continue their legal battle against plans to expand Gatwick Airport’s operations to the Court of Appeal.

Peter Barclay and the campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (Cagne) had challenged the Government’s decision to approve plans for a two-runway operation at the West Sussex airport.

They argued the decision was unlawful, claiming the climate impact of the expansion had not been properly assessed.

The £2.2 billion project would see Gatwick’s emergency runway moved 12 metres north, allowing the airport to handle an additional 100,000 flights a year.

A High Court challenge was previously dismissed in June, with Mr Justice Mould ruling that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander had acted lawfully when approving the plans.

The judge said it was “neither illogical nor contradictory” for the Government to approve the development despite concerns over its potential impact on carbon reduction targets.

He also rejected arguments questioning the need for Gatwick’s expansion given its close proximity to Heathrow Airport.

Last month, Mr Barclay and Cagne asked the Court of Appeal for permission to challenge that ruling, arguing the judge had reached the wrong conclusion.

However, Lord Justice Holgate and Lord Justice Dove have now dismissed the appeal bids.

In a 29-page ruling, the judges said the grounds raised by the campaigners were “unarguable” and that neither appeal had a realistic prospect of success.

They also described the previous High Court ruling as “detailed and thorough”.

Gatwick is the UK’s second busiest airport and one of the world’s busiest single-runway airports.

The expansion plans would allow the airport’s existing northern runway to be used for departures by smaller aircraft, including Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s.

London Gatwick’s Chief Executive Pierre-Hugues Schmit said the ruling confirmed the airport’s plans had been approved “properly and lawfully”.

He said the decision brought an end to an eight-year planning and legal process, adding that work could now move forward into the design and delivery phase.

Mr Schmit said the Northern Runway project is expected to create 14,000 jobs and provide a £1 billion annual boost to the economy.