Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has appealed to the prime minister to allow a second runway at Gatwick Airport.
Mr Khan, who underlined his support for the expansion during a visit to Croydon last month, has written to Therese May saying the move would boost economic growth in south London.
His letter has been signed by 30 London MPs, council leaders and assembly members and he tweeted: “A new runway at Gatwick has cross party support. It’s time to get a move on.”
The mayor believes it is a better option than heathrow because it would not require a public subsidy and would keep air quality safe and within legal limits.
“We can finally get moving, unleash the potential for economic growth and send a positive signal to the rest of the world that London – and Britain – is open,” he said.
“Following the EU referendum, it’s more important than ever that we demonstrate we’re open for business and that we can make the most of crucial investment opportunities.”
The government is expected to make a decision on airport expansion soon with business leaders warning the ongoing delay is having a detrimental effect.
Croydon is in line to directly benefit from Gatwick expansion with a historic ‘memorandum of agreement’ providing guarantees of extra investment from the airport should expansion be given the green light.