Farnborough airport planning application

On 14 November we received a planning application from Farnborough Airport Ltd. This planning application seeks changes to the planning conditions controlling aircraft movements, aircraft weight categories and Public Safety Zones.  

Within this new application, there are no proposals to increase the total number aircraft movements permitted. This would mean the current cap of 50,000 aircraft movements per year remains.

Latest update

In May, we formally asked for more information under Regulation 25 of the Town and Country Planning Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2017. We needed this information to add to the application's Environmental Statement. This information would help us understand the likely significant effects of the proposed development and help us to make a decision on the application.

We were waiting for a reply from the applicant and had mutually agreed to extend the determination period for the application.

However, at the end of June, the airport confirmed that it would not be seeking to extend the determination period. Instead, it would be making a ‘non-determination’ appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

Now that the appeal has been submitted, the Council no longer has the power to decide the application. That responsibility has been passed to Planning Inspectors acting as independent decision-makers appointed by the Secretary of State.

The appeal will be determined on the basis of a public inquiry.  Arrangements for the Inquiry are currently being finalised with the Planning Inspectorate, and we will share further details once they are confirmed.

Appeal timescales and process

The appeal was formally started on 19 August and will follow a timetable decided by the Planning Inspectorate.  The Council is required to submit a Statement of Case and agree an initial Statement of Common Ground with the appellant by 24 September.

We have forwarded the representations made to us on the application to the Planning Inspectorate and these will be considered by the Inspector when determining the appeal.

If you wish to make comments, or modify/withdraw your previous representation, there is an opportunity to submit comments directly to the Inspectorate online at https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/enter-appeal-reference  using the appeal reference 6013192, or by post to The Planning Inspectorate, c/o QUADIENT, 69 Buckingham Avenue, Slough,SL1 4PN.

Comments must be received by the Planning Inspectorate by 24 September 2026.  Any representations submitted after the deadline will not usually be considered and will be returned.

Further information on the planning appeal process is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/taking-part-in-a-planning-listed-building-or-enforcement-appeal

Planning application details

The application is seeking to vary Conditions 2 (aircraft movements) and 6 (aircraft weight), and to replace Conditions 7 (1:10,000 risk contour) and 8 (1:100,00 risk contour), of planning permission 20/00871/REVPP determined on the 22/02/2022, in order to: 

• Increase the number of non-weekday aircraft movements from 8,900 to 13,500 per annum, and
• Amend the permitted annual flight movements weight category from 50,000–80,000 kg to 55,000–80,000 kg, retaining the overall cap of 1,500 movements (within this cap:  aircraft between 50,000–55,000 kg that do not meet ICAO Chapter 14 (or equivalent) noise standards shall continue to be counted, and non-weekday movements within the revised category shall increase from 270 to 405) and to 
• Replace Conditions Nos. 7 (1:10,000 risk contour) and 8 (1:100,000 risk contour) with a new condition to produce Public Safety Zone maps in accordance with the Department for Transport requirements

Hard copies of all the documents are also available to view at the council offices, during opening hours.

Public consultation

As part of the public consultation for the application, we wrote to all properties, including residents, businesses and schools, in the inbound and outbound flight paths of the airport in Rushmoor.

We also wrote to properties that fall within the projected Noise ‘Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level’ (LOAEL) area, as a result of the proposed changes to non-weekday flights (including those who fall within this area but who are outside of Rushmoor).   

We also wrote to the councils and parishes in local authority areas that lie within the 7,000 ft flight path of Farnborough Airport, placed newspaper adverts in the Hampshire Independent and Surrey Advertiser and placed site notices around the airport perimeter.

The 2023 planning application

The planning application which was submitted in 2023 (ref. 23/00794/REVPP) is still pending consideration but there are no further updates on an expected timetable for determination at this time. We will let you know when we are able to share any further information on this.