Final decision to be made this October
The government has backed plans for a £2.2bn second runway at Gatwick Airport.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has said she was “minded to approve” the expansion as long as it includes measures to reduce noise.
The airport currently uses its northern runway only for taxiing or maintenance but wants to make it fully operational by 2030 under plans which would see it moved 12 metres to the north.
The BBC reported that work on the scheme, which will be funded through private investment, would start straight away if it is given planning permission.
Alexander’s backing comes after a report on the scheme’s development consent order by the Examining Authority which recommended a series of changes to the application aiming to reduce carbon and noise impacts.
Gatwick Airport now has until 24 April to outline how it would reduce noise and provide a public transport strategy before a final decision is issued by 27 October.
The airport believes a second runway would allow it increase the number of departures by 50,000 a year by the end of the 2030s and help it reach its target of 80 million annual passengers.
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