It's becoming quite a theme, same thing happened at Bristol airport - planners suggested approval but council voted it down. That's at the Planning Inspectorate as well. One thing I would say regarding the Inspectorate, and I'm probably slightly biased as I've family who work there, they're quite far removed from the influence of central government, believe it or not. They will assess the plan on its merits and how it complies with the local planning policies - so if the local planners recommended approval I would suggest that's a very good sign!
Saying that, I'm not entirely convinced this extra bit of runway will do much to help improve connectivity within the UK if that is indeed the argument. The runway is perfectly adequate as it is for UK flights.
Last edited by cavokblues; 26th Mar 2021 at 20:51.