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• Minister ‘sets path’ to allow Gatwick to open second runway

Here’s our news story about Gatwick being given qualified consent to operate a second runway after the government “set out a path to expansion” for London’s second biggest airport.

UK transport secretary Heidi Alexander has reportedly “set out a path to approving” Gatwick airport’s expansion project, to open a second runway.

This comes after the Planning Inspectorate initially rejected the West Sussex airport’s application to bring its emergency runway into routine use.

The Planning Inspectorate then recommended that Ms Alexander should give the project the go-ahead if adjustments are made on issues such as the proportion of passengers who travel to and from the airport by public transport, and noise mitigation.