Campaigning councillors have requested a meeting with the Transport Secretary to give their views on controversial plans to expand Gatwick.

Tex Pemberton, of West Sussex County Council, has written to Alistair Darling proposing a meeting this autumn, along with district councils around the airport, including Horsham and Mid Sussex, and members of Surrey County Council.

They oppose runway expansion at Gatwick and each authority has responded individually to a Government consultation but members want to personally put their views.

The consultation period ended last month and the Government's decision is expected in an aviation White Paper at the end of the year.

Councillor Pemberton, Cabinet member for the environment, said: "The Government faces many options in developing Britain's airports. We need to ensure the minister appreciates why its original decision to exclude Gatwick was correct.

"It was forced to put Gatwick into the consultation after a judicial review but the reasons for that original exclusion are exactly the same today as they were then, unless new information has come to light in this second consultation - and we doubt that is the case."

The council believes extra runways would be unnecessary as 50 per cent growth is forecast using the present single runway and two terminals.

Thirty million passengers a year fly in and out of Gatwick. Government predicts this number will rise to about 46 million by 2008.

A legal agreement is in force until 2019 which prevents a second runway being built.