The lowdown on what happens next and whether the move is likely to boost the UK economy
Nils Pratley: Getting Gatwick’s expansion off the ground should never have been this hard
Gatwick airport has been given the go-ahead to build a second runway, allowing it to operate more than 100,000 additional flights a year. What has changed – and what does it mean for Heathrow?
In February the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said she was “minded to approve” its second runway plan, after planning inspectors initially recommended refusal. However, she outlined potential conditions, including making most passengers take the train rather than a car to the airport, which Gatwick only partly agreed to accept.
Gatwick said it still needs time to examine the small print of the decision, announced five weeks ahead of the deadline, but which appears to reframe public transport quotas as targets rather than binding. The airport must also make some further concessions on compensating nearby homeowners for noise insulation or, in extreme cases, costs of moving away.
