Airports

Gatwick Airport is located directly to the south of the borough. As such, activity at and around the airport affects the borough. 

We are therefore represented on the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM), which is the statutory advisory body for the airport. Further information on the role of GATCOM and previous minutes please visit GATCOM's website. 

Flight Paths

Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) is currently undertaking two airspace change proposals in accordance with the guidance detailed in the Civil Aviation Authority's CAP 1616 Guidance:

• Gatwick Redesign of Departure and Arrival Routes and Procedures (FASI-South)
• Gatwick Route 4 - Redesign of RNAV SIDs

Given that several borough residents are affected by overflight from Gatwick Airport, we are actively involved in these airspace change proposals. 

Historically we have also made a number of representations to consultations on Gatwick flight paths.

Noise

Information on aircraft noise is available on the Council's Environmental Health webpages.  

Future Developments at Gatwick Airport

Airports are required to produce masterplans every five-years. The latest masterplan was produced in July 2019 following public consultation between October 2018 and January 2019.

• Gatwick Masterplan

In July 2019, GAL announced their intention to actively pursue bringing the existing standby runway into routine use alongside the main runway (Scenario 2 of the Masterplan). GAL also recommended that national and local planning policy should continue to safeguard land for an additional runway to the south, should this be required in the longer term.

Subsequently, GAL started work to prepare Development Consent Order (DCO) application under the Nationally Significant Projects (NSIP) regime to bring the standby runway into routine use for smaller departing aircraft. This is a rigorous statutory planning process overseen by the Planning Inspectorate. 

To inform the content of the DCO, Gatwick Airport Limited have undertaken two rounds of consultation. The first, held in autumn 2021, considered the Preliminary Environmental Impact Report. The second held in summer 2022 focused on the proposed Highway Alterations associated with the Northern Runway Project along with some other associated detail updates.

Gatwick Airport Limited submitted their DCO application for the Gatwick Northern Runway on 6 July 2023. This was subsequently accepted by the Planning Inspectorate on 3 August 2023. Details of the application and its progress including details of the Examination Hearings including the timetable can be found at the Planning Inspectorate's website.

On 12th March 2024, the Surrey Joint Councils Local Impact Report was submitted on behalf of Surrey County Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Tandridge District Council in accordance with the Examination Deadline 1. This set of documents provides a detailed assessment of the council's concerns with the application. It can be found at the Planning Inspectorate's website.

More information on the Development consent Order Application process is available on the Planning Inspectorate's website.