In what sense does a failure to expand as hoped spell doom for both the Airport and the Council? Surely the Council will manage to get by on its £12million each year, and the Airport won't be doing too badly if it manages 400 movements per day.
Why do you assume that the Airport will close down if it isn't allowed to expand? Can't it just continue at its present level of activity, which represents a five-fold increase in passenger numbers in the last dozen years?