New Civil Engineer
Rob Hakimian
06 June 2025
A community group opposing Gatwick Airport’s new runway project has called on the secretary of state for transport to restart the planning process, citing concerns over untested amendments to the proposal.
Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE), which represents residents across Sussex, Surrey and Kent, has led ongoing legal challenges against the airport’s plans. Its legal team has warned the secretary of state that recent revisions to the development consent order (DCO) application undermine the integrity of the planning examination and risk bypassing proper scrutiny of critical environmental issues, particularly noise and surface transport impacts.
CAGNE contends that the latest version of the DCO application introduces new conditions that have not undergone the usual rigorous examination. The Planning Inspectorate’s Examining Authority originally recommended refusal of Gatwick’s initial proposal (the “First Scheme”). An alternative (“Second Scheme”) with stricter environmental controls was the version that Alexander was “minded to approve”.
