Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether further public hearings will be held on (a) noise and (b) surface transport relating to Gatwick expansion.

The application for the Gatwick Airport Northern Runway Development Consent Order, submitted by Gatwick Airport Limited, is currently with the Secretary of State for a decision, with a statutory deadline of the 27 October 2025.

The Examining Authority, in its 6-month Examination conducted last year, held several public hearings on the issues of noise and surface transport, providing Interested Parties with the opportunity to present their views. There is no mechanism within the Planning Act 2008 to conduct a public hearing at the decision stage.

The Secretary of State has consulted on several matters during the decision stage and may request further information from Gatwick Airport or Interested Parties, if she is not satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to take a decision. Interested Parties can provide further representations to the Secretary of State, which will be taken into consideration. All information regarding this application can be found on the Planning Inspectorate’s website.