Dear Local Councillor
I am writing to inform you that we have submitted our Development Consent Order (DCO) application to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) yesterday. This is a significant milestone in our journey towards achieving long term, sustainable growth at London Gatwick. This journey started with the publication of our draft Airport Masterplan in 2018, which included our proposal to bring our existing standby runway into routine use for departures – the Northern Runway Project. You can view our press release concerning the DCO submission here.
Over the past couple of years we have held two formal stages of statutory consultation - firstly in autumn 2021 and then again in the summer of 2022. In addition to these formal consultations, there has also been extensive engagement with local authorities and other key stakeholders around Gatwick. To date we have held over 85 detailed and technical Topic Working Groups (TWGs). This engagement with local authority officers will continue throughout the planning process.
PINS now have 28 days to review our application and confirm formal “acceptance”. If this is confirmed, the DCO documents will be published by PINS on their website and will then be accessible for review by everyone.
We are continuing to engage with the relevant officers in the Local Authorities about this application, including officers in your own Council. Separate formal communications will be sent to the relevant officers regarding our submission, and following any acceptance, in line with the requirements of the Planning Act 2008.
We are contacting all local councillors in the relevant Local Authorities to make you aware of our submission and the next steps in the process, as you may be approached by residents or businesses in your own Ward who have heard about the DCO in the news. We are also contacting all Parish Council clerks in the area to share this information.
Beyond the more formally prescribed role of Local Authorities in the DCO process, all stakeholders, including local residents and business representatives also have the opportunity to register their interest with PINS to become an interested party and participate in the examination process. Being registered as an interested party gives you the right to make relevant representations about the application, for example on our proposed plans for mitigation and for delivering additional benefits to the local economy and local communities in the long term. Registered interested parties also have the opportunity to attend and speak at the Preliminary Meeting or hearings that take place during the Examination.
Following any acceptance by PINS, we will publish notices in local newspapers and contact stakeholders with the relevant information to explain how to register with PINS within the prescribed timeline.
The Northern Runway project will enable long term, sustainable growth and resilience at Gatwick - all privately financed and delivered within the existing airport boundary. We will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can unlock the full potential of London Gatwick and the benefits it can bring to the local economy and communities across the region.
