New Civil Engineer
Rob Hakimian
03 November 2025
A legal challenge has been lodged against plans to bring a second operating runway into use at Gatwick Airport, with campaigners arguing the expansion was approved without adequate assessment of its environmental impacts.
Communities against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) has filed for a judicial review of the transport secretary’s decision to grant development consent for the scheme. The group, which represents residents affected by aircraft noise, had earlier issued a pre-action notice to the transport secretary in October after the expansion was approved in September.
CAGNE says the environmental impact assessment that underpinned the consent contains “gaps” and that the decision-maker failed to properly evaluate the consequences for the climate. Central to the challenge are complaints about how greenhouse gas emissions were calculated, including the treatment of emissions from inbound international flights and non‑carbon dioxide effects such as nitrogen oxides and water vapour, which can have additional warming or cooling effects on the atmosphere.
The group also disputes reliance on the government’s 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), arguing the policy rests on optimistic assumptions about future technological and operational improvements – including gains in fuel efficiency and the development of low‑carbon fuels – that may not materialise. CAGNE contends that decision‑makers failed to take sufficient account of the risks in the JZS, or to make adequate enquiries about those risks and says the strategy itself may be unlawful.
