Following the publication of its master plan in July, Gatwick announced it would prepare a planning application to bring the airport’s existing Northern Runway (also known as the standby runway) into routine use for smaller, departing aircraft alongside the main runway by the mid-2020s.
It estimated that by using both runways, Gatwick could facilitate an extra 10-15 hourly aircraft movements in peak hours, which could deliver up to 70million passengers by 2032.
Gatwick has now submitted a notice to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) of its intention to prepare an application for development consent.
This establishes the ‘Gatwick Airport Northern Runway’ project on the PINS website and is the first step in the Development Consent Order (DCO) application process.
Next month, the airport will submit a ‘Scoping Request’ to PINS, which sets out the proposed approach and key issues to be included within the process.
Tim Norwood, Gatwick’s Chief Planning Officer, says: “As the biggest private investments in our region for many years, the start of the process to use our existing Northern Runway is a significant milestone.
“This project has the capacity to offer significant local economic benefits, new jobs and an exciting future for the region.
“As we take our plans forward, we are committed to working in partnership with our local communities, councils and partners to ensure we grow sustainably and present information in a clear and transparent way, including a more detailed stage of public consultation on the project next year.”
