On 28 February, the Transport Secretary, Rt Hon Heidi Alexander MP, wrote to Parliament concernng the potential development at Gatwick Airport. 

Alexander set out the government position on the potential expansion of Gatwick Airport, including an additional ‘Northern Runway’.  

The Transport Secretary announced she has issued a ‘minded to approve’ letter for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act 2008. This provides some additional time to seek views from all relevant parties on the provisions, prior to a final decision. 

The full written statement to parliament is available to read here.  

Whilst CIHT welcomes investment in transport infrastructure and the Government’s commitment to growth, CIHT believes that this growth must be sustainably delivered.   

The Climate Change Committee (CCC), the government’s independent advisor on achieving Net Zero, has recommended that any airport expansion should not go ahead until a UK wide capacity management framework is in place that can assess and where necessary control the aviation sector’s Green House Gas emissions.   

CIHT calls on the Department for Transport to work with the Devolved Administrations to develop a framework that shows how the emissions from additional flights generated by UK airport expansion can be accommodated without compromising the UK’s carbon budgets. The support for an expansion of Gatwick and Heathrow must be consistent with a credible pathway to Net Zero by 2050.  

CIHT looks forward to continuing to engage and work with the Treasury and Department for Transport, working to create transport networks that work for all, without compromising on the Net Zero agenda.