The Court of Appeal has refused permission to appeal the Secretary of State's decision allowing the expansion of Gatwick, bringing to an end the main legal challenge brought by local community groups Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) and the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC). The Surrey Climate Commission has long opposed this expansion, and we are disappointed by the outcome.
The judgment does nothing to change the fundamentals: an expanded Gatwick means a substantial and lasting increase in carbon emissions, at a time when the climate crisis demands the opposite trajectory from aviation. It also means more noise and air pollution for communities across Surrey and the wider region, and greater pressure on local roads and public transport. CAGNE and GACC's case highlighted serious gaps in the economic justification for expansion, gaps that were never properly addressed during the examination process. Yet the ruling confirms that the Secretary of State retains very wide discretion to approve such schemes regardless. That should concern anyone who cares about how major infrastructure decisions affecting climate and nature are made and scrutinised.
There is no further right of appeal, but CAGNE and GACC have said they will continue to hold the airport to account through all lawful means available. The Commission will continue to support that work and to press for a transport and aviation policy that is genuinely consistent with the UK’s climate obligations. CAGNE’s and GACC's legal campaigns have been costly, and those wishing to support it can do so via CrowdJustice and PayPal.