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The planning inspectorate released its report in early February, which overturned our previous rejection of the expansion application.
We’ve been studying the inspectors’ detailed reasons for allowing the expansion - which will increase the airport’s capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers a year – and sought legal advice on whether there are grounds for a legal challenge.
However, a legal challenge through the High Court can only be successful if the inspectors can be shown to have erred in law.
Our disagreement with the inspectors' conclusions on the planning merits is not a relevant ground for challenge and pursuing it would carry a high level of risk.
A challenge would incur significant further costs and, even if were successful, it’s highly likely that planning permission would simply be granted again on redetermination.
We cannot justify risking more public money on a process that is unlikely to change anything.
However, we remain committed to tackling the climate emergency and will work hard to hold the airport to account on its promises and planning commitments to reducing its carbon impact.