Decision details

Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) proposes alterations to bring the existing Northern Runway at Gatwick Airport into routine use alongside the main runway, enabling the dual operation of both runways.  The proposal, the Northern Runway Project, is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project requiring a Development Consent Order (DCO) from the Secretary of State (rather than planning permission from the local planning authority).  The County Council is a statutory consultee in the DCO process.

The proposal would increase Gatwick’s passenger throughput to approximately 75.6 million passengers per annum (mppa) by 2038, an increase in capacity of approximately 13.2 mppa.  The Northern Runway would be operational by summer 2029.  The majority of the construction works associated with the project would be contained within the existing airport boundary.

Formal consultation on the proposal is taking place from 9 September to 1 December 2021.

The Cabinet will be asked to approve the County Council’s response to the formal consultation. 

Following consideration of the report, Cabinet resolved:

(a)     to approve the comments in paragraphs 2.36-2.98 of the report and the detailed comments on the PEIR in Appendix C of the report as the County Council’s formal response to the consultation on the Northern Runway Project;

(b)       to authorise the Director of Highways, Transport and Planning to respond to any further stages of pre-submission consultation and to make minor or technical changes to the pre-submission in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change – in support of the formal response approved under (a);

(c)     if an application for a Development Consent Order is submitted, authorises the Director of Highways, Transport, and Planning to:

(i)      approve the County Council’s ‘adequacy of consultation’ response;

(ii)     prepare and submit the County Council’s written representation and Local Impact Report, and to negotiate with the applicant on the DCO requirements, any S106 Agreement, and the preparation of a Statement of Common Ground – all in support of the formal response approved under (a); and

(iii)    attend the examination hearings and answer the Examining Authority’s questions in support of the County Council’s position; and

(d)     if a Development Consent Order is made, approves the County Council becoming a relevant authority for the discharge of requirements, provided that the Authority’s costs are met in full.

The call-in deadline is 25 November 2021.

UPDATE – Wednesday 17 November 2021

Following approval by Cabinet, the Director of Highways, Transport and Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, has made some minor changes to the Northern Runway Project report and to Appendix C (detailed comments on PEIR) for the reasons set out in the Schedule of Post-Cabinet Changes.