Gatwick expansion: Airport welcomes news Transport Secretary is 'minded to approve' £2.2bn Northern Runway plans

After days of speculation the £2.2bn Northern Runway project was going to given the go ahead, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander delayed the decision but said she is ‘minded to approve’ the plans, providing measures to reduce noise are put in place.

The transport secretary's support does not guarantee the expansion will go ahead as it would still need planning permission.

London Gatwick has until April 24 to respond to demands for it to include measures, such as noise mitigation and having a proportion of passengers travelling to the airport via public transport, in its overall plans before a final decision will be made on October 27.

You can read Heidi Alexander’s statement in full here.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, London Gatwick said: “We welcome today’s announcement that the Secretary of State for Transport is minded to approve our Northern Runway plans and has outlined a clear pathway to full approval later in the year.

“It is vital that any planning conditions attached to the final approval enable us to make a decision to invest £2.2bn in this project and realise the full benefits of bringing the Northern Runway into routine use.

“We will of course engage fully in the extended process for a final decision.

"We stand ready to deliver this project which will create 14,000 jobs and generate £1bn a year in economic benefits. By increasing resilience and capacity we can support the UK’s position as a leader in global connectivity and deliver substantial trade and economic growth in the South East and more broadly. We have also outlined to government how we plan to grow responsibly to meet increasing passenger demand, while minimising noise and environmental impacts.”

Gatwick, which is the world’s busiest single runway airport, wants to reposition the centre line of the Northern Runway, which is currently only used for taxiing or as a back up, 12 metres north to allow dual runway operations, aligning with international safety standards.

The airport wants to make the runway fully operational by the end of the decade.

Follow all the reaction and latest statements on the decision with our live blog here.