S30155 Gatwick Surface Access Works Technical Support

National Highways has an ongoing role in supporting Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL) in the development and delivery of the Gatwick Northern Runway Project and associated Surface Access Works where these interface with the Strategic Road Network (SRN). The wider Gatwick Northern Runway Project received Development Consent Order (DCO) approval in September 2025. Following the transfer of responsibility from the Third Party NSIP/CSC team to Major Projects in June 2026, Major Projects has assumed responsibility for National Highways' ongoing engagement with GAL and the associated technical assurance requirements.

The DCO process identified a number of significant technical issues and risks which will require further consideration as the scheme progresses. To retain the critical scheme knowledge and provide continuity during the interim period, National Highways proposes to retain the exisiting Technical Partner resources who are currently working on this.

This interim arrangement will maintain access to the knowledge developed through the DCO and handover process, support Major Projects with emerging technical requirements and enable effective preparation for the next stage of the scheme.

The arrangement will remain in place until the next stage is sufficiently developed to enable a competitive procurement exercise for the wider Technical Assurance requirement across the relevant technical disciplines. The interim resource will therefore provide continuity while allowing Major Projects sufficient time to establish the longer-term technical assurance and resource requirements for the Surface Access Works. The current IDC proposal identifies a 12-month period of interim support from September 2026 to August 2027, pending development of the detailed mobilisation, design and construction arrangements.