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Gatwick U-turn threatens Sussex

Gatwick Airport © Demetrio Neri Gatwick Airport © Demetrio Neri

17 October 2012

Gatwick has thrown its name into hat as part of the push to increase London's airport capacity. With Heathrow ruled out and plans for a third airport in the Thames Estuary proving controversial, Gatwick has declared that it is to immediately start drawing up detailed plans for a second runaway.

Expansion at Gatwick is currently prohibited until 2019, however the airport is now intending to present proposals to the government's Davies commission on aviation with a view to getting the go-ahead after the next election.

CPRE Sussex believes this is a significant move. The masterplan for the airport kept the second runway idea discretely in the background, no doubt to avoid any backlash or hint of breaching the 2018 agreement. However this is a forthright bid for a runway that will dismay many campaigning groups in Sussex.

Only two years ago Sir David Rowlands, former Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport and current Chairman of the Board of Gatwick Airport Ltd ruled out a second runway at Gatwick "for the foreseeable future".

See also: New owners rule out second runway at Gatwick

Photo: Demetrio Neri

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