The Government was expected to confirm today that a second runway will not be built at Gatwick before 2019.

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling was expected to propose plans for expansion at Heathrow and Stansted with the possibility of a new airport in Kent to meet the need for increasing runway slots in the South-East.

A new runway could be built after 2019 when a legal agreement, drawn up with the British Airports Authority in 1979 to prevent development, expires.

The deal was signed because of alarm sparked by proposals for a second Gatwick terminal.

Local residents thought that would mean another runway.

They have campaigned against a second runway because they believe there is no space and it would have a severe impact on the surrounding environment.

However, the consultation document said ministers have no plans to break the agreement and develop Gatwick for the foreseeable future.

Brendon Sewill, of the Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign, said it was the right decision.

He said it reflected the difficulty of finding space for a second runway.

But West Sussex County Councillor Chris Mullins was concerned the Gatwick economy might lose out to Heathrow or Stansted in the long term.

He said he was not making a strong case for a second runway but he wanted to see the economy of the airport and the surrounding area remain healthy.