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Gatwick Airport publishes its Final Master Plan
22nd July 2019
Gatwick Airport today published its Final Master Plan which confirms plans to take forward the sustainable development of the airport.
Tim Norwood – Director of Corporate Affairs, Planning and Sustainability, said:
In October 2018, our Draft Master Plan consultation set out three scenarios for future growth:
- Using new technology to build capacity and resilience on the main runway;
- Bringing the existing standby runway into routine use for departures only alongside the main runway by the mid-2020s;
- Recommending planning policy continues to safeguard land for an additional runway.
We received more than 5,000 responses to the 12-week public consultation and are encouraged that two-thirds (66%) of respondents supported the principle of growing Gatwick by making best use of our existing runways, in line with Government policy.
As a result, we will progress with plans to introduce new technology to build capacity and resilience on our main runway. We are also announcing today that we will prepare a planning application to bring our standby runway into routine use.
The innovative proposals for the standby runway will deliver additional capacity at the airport that enables us to balance operational resilience and sustainable growth. As one of the biggest private investments in the region, the scheme will deliver greater connectivity, a better passenger experience through greater competition, and an economic boost that secures jobs and opportunities for generations to come. These benefits can all be delivered while keeping the airport’s noise footprint broadly similar to today’s levels, and with minimal disruption to our neighbours and the environment.
The consultation report, also published today, provides extensive feedback on our consultation and those views will help shape our plans as we prepare a Development Consent Order (DCO) – a rigorous planning process that will include further engagement and public consultation next year and culminates in a final decision by the Secretary of State. We will now carry out a number of detailed studies to assess the impacts and benefits of our proposals before consulting the public again next year.
We are also recommending that national and local planning policy continues to safeguard the land that would be required for a new runway, should it be required in the longer-term. However, we reiterate today that we are no longer actively pursuing plans for an additional runway.
Further information on Gatwick’s plans is available at www.gatwickairport.com/futureplans.
You can also sign up to Gatwick’s community newsletter at www.gatwickairport.com/communitynewsletter
