Airfields and housing
Heathrow and a few others besides, it is a simple fact of life that a piece of land is worth more for housing that it is as an airfield. This is because the people who use it as an airfield simply don't want to pay enough.
This means that if an airfield is owned by a company, as many are, and the planning process makes it clear that housing will be permitted, then the directors can either sell the airfield for housing or they will be sued to hell and back by their shareholders for failing to maximise shareholder value. Company law.
A private individual owning a piece of land used as an airfield but with permission for housing is under no such pressure. He can continue to indulge his ludicrously expensive hobby of running it as an airfield if he likes, with no danger from shareholders.
So, if anyone doesn't like the idea that an airfield is to be closed and developed for housing, all they have to do is buy the land and continue to operate it as an airfield. (Just like, if you like the view of open fields out of your window, the only way to keep that view for sure is to buy the land.)
You'll have to pay the going rate for housing land of course, so make sure you can afford it before embarking on this course of action. Something like £100k per plot round here, might be different round your way, and with modern densities a "plot" may be lots smaller than you think.
Oh, and if the local authorities are really feeling pushed to meet the government's targets for new housing development, as some in the south east will be, do make sure that you've saved up a little bit extra to pay lawyers to fight the resulting CPO.