P330 I'd like to believe "The Plan" and note your optimism.
As to the cost & effort in it's preparation then there is no need to apportion any credit for effort etc. as it's publication is in effect mandatory in the process of supporting Peels position & what remains of their public image.
Like many plans they can, just like Peel's initial promises on acquisition of DTV, quite easily be "amended" with a bit of maneuvering and a little "spin" at the appropriate times.
The cynical view on all of this is that the process will proceed as a "war of attrition". Peel will earn substantial revenue from housing development and the runway maintained in an operational state in some form or other. However "eventually" there will be a "shift" in the plan whereby ALL aviation operations will move to the South of the runway with the total demolition of the Terminal & ancillary aviation related sites to the North. Proposed southside develoment would in reality cater for any relocation necessary from the north side including facilities for a mininimal no. of pax. Thus some 40%+ of the airport land will be released & available for development by Peel whether housing or whatever. Such release will more than cover what in the greater scheme will be incidental costs of relocation.
You must ask yourselves as to whether other than a few upset residents (and of course those airport employees who stand to lose their jobs), who would not actually endorse such a plan? After all the down side to "Joe Public" is at this stage likely to be minimal, it's not as if they have lost an airport, as it will have effectively ceased serving their needs (bucket & spade) some time prior.
As I referred to earlier as it being a "war of attrition" then "war" as oposed to "battle" is the key point here, & where is it all likely to end? as there is no guarantee that the development will stop at this point, and that issues will continue arise an issue in respect of further land disposals.
