The law suit has been filed by the campaign group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE).
It comes after Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was put on legal notice by the group, following the decision to grant development consent for the expansion.
Plans for the second runway were first submitted in July 2023 and involve repurposing the current back-up runway at the airport. It is understood that the extra capacity will result in more than 100,000 extra flights per year by the late 2030s.
Following an examination period, the plans were granted development consent in September 2025 – a decision which CAGNE said was flawed. Sally Pavey, chair of CAGNE, said the development only guarantees Gatwick ‘significant increases in noise and more pressure on our sewage system, whilst increasing global warming to allow a huge increase in seasonal leisure flights exporting sterling out of the UK purse.’
‘It is absolutely shameful that residents are forced to take legal action to hold a government to account. Months were spent examining the Gatwick submissions and yet a government can just ignore the outcome for refusal and grant unsustainable growth at any price to the local environment and the planet,’ Pavey continued.
‘To build a brighter future you must look to what is sustainable, to what legacy we wish to leave future generations. One that increases global warming per Gatwick flight, that costs less than a train fare to London, or one that presents a sustainable future for all.’
Echoing a similar tone, Julia Eriksen, a solicitor who represents CAGNE, added: ‘The impact of a second runway at Gatwick Airport will undoubtedly be significant, and a thorough evaluation of the effects of this on the environment should be a key part of any proposal.
‘However, our client says that the environmental impact has not been properly assessed, and that development consent has been granted despite a number of flaws in the planning application. After calling on the Transport Secretary to revoke development consent in a pre-action letter, CAGNE is now pursuing a judicial review challenge.’
Gatwick’s expansion has long been controversial. A previous proposal for a second full-length runway was rejected by the government in 2016 in favour of expanding Heathrow, though Gatwick has since sought to advance a smaller-scale scheme using existing infrastructure.
Photo: Neil Mewes/UnSplash
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