Planning inspectors had recommended rejecting Gatwick’s project, which will modify an emergency runway and taxiway to allow it to be used alongside its existing main runway, but suggested it could be approved if conditions on noise and public transport access to the airport were met.
The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, was “minded to approve” the £2.2bn expansion scheme, according to a government source, but has yet to ratify the development consent order that could allow more than 100,000 extra flights a year at the West Sussex airport.
Peter Barclay, the chair of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, said the group would “legally challenge this dangerous and irresponsible decision”, adding: “We are calling out the government’s failure to recognise Gatwick’s false economic claims and its plans to fly in the face of climate breakdown.”.
Gatwick has been given qualified consent to operate a second runway after the government “set out a path to expansion” for London’s second biggest airport.
Gatwick first launched the scheme – branded a second runway by the backdoor by opponents – in 2018, soon after it lost out to Heathrow in seeking approval for expansion by the Airports Commission.
