Gatwick's new owners rule out second runway

The airport's ownership changed hands last year

Gatwick Airport's new owners say they have no plans to build a second runway at the West Sussex site.

At a meeting with conservationists, Gatwick chairman Sir David Rowlands said there was "not a shred of interest" in a second runway.

Sir David talked about the future of the airport with members of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC).

GACC chairman Brendon Sewill said the comments should kill off speculation and "a lot of uncertainty and anxiety".

During the meeting, Sir David said: "The simple fact is that we at Gatwick have not a shred of interest in a second runway.

"It's not government policy and it's not in our policy.

"Even if the government started to look more favourably at the prospect, we would have to think very hard about spending £100m to £200m on a planning application with an uncertain decision.

"We would have to look even more carefully at the economic value of a multi-billion pound project - would there be a commercial return?"

The united stand by local people, by the local MPs and by all the local councils across Surrey, Sussex and Kent has helped to produce this result Brendon Sewill, Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign chairman

Gatwick's ownership passed from BAA to US-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) in December 2009.

Following the sale, the GACC and other groups feared the new owners would pursue plans to build a second runway despite the airport having a long-standing agreement with West Sussex County Council not to do so before 2019.

Mr Sewill said: "GACC thanks all those who over the years have supported our campaigns against a new runway.

"The united stand by local people, by the local MPs and by all the local councils across Surrey, Sussex and Kent has helped to produce this result."

But he added: "We will remain on guard. We will stand ready, if need be, to launch a massive campaign to defeat any new runway plan, as we have defeated such plans in the past."