Southampton Airport campaigners aim to continue legal fight

Southampton Airport won permission to extend its runway in 2021

Opponents of plans to extend an airport runway are seeking permission to appeal a court's decision.

Proposals to extend Southampton Airport's runway by 164m (538ft) were approved in April 2021.

GOESA Ltd (Group Opposed to the Expansion of Southampton Airport) previously claimed permission was "unlawfully granted", but a High Court judge declined the group's claim for a judicial review.

Campaigners want to appeal the ruling.

John Lauwerys, a spokesperson for GOESA Ltd, has confirmed the group has submitted a formal application to the court asking for permission to appeal the latest judgement.

"In due course a different judge to the one who rejected the judicial review application will decide whether to grant permission to appeal," he said.

If permission is granted, campaigners will then be able to formally lodge an appeal.

Southampton Airport has confirmed it awaits the decision from the Court of Appeal and it will not move forward with the plans until the legal process has ended.

A spokesperson for the airport said bosses were "confident" that the court would uphold Eastleigh Borough Council's decision to approve the plans.

GOESA Ltd previously accused the council of formally approving the plans before the government had chosen whether to "call in" the decision.

The council has always defended its action and said the government had been kept informed.

Council leader Keith House stressed that the authority followed "all planning guidelines carefully".

"We want the airport to get on with a secure future to protect jobs and grow our regional economy and hope the latest delay with this unnecessary further court process will be as short as possible," he added.