Similar points to those made by DJ6 have also been made by NECC
Durham Tees Valley Airport plans get backing of commerce chiefs - Hartlepool Mail
Peel make the point in the masterplan that the profits from housing are needed to fund the the other investment required, so for the linkage to be formalised makes sense.
I'm not against housing on the site, but don't think the site chosen is compatible with keeping the site open for aviation long term. The only other comparison I can think of is Blackpool where the housing is on the far side of the airfield from the terminal etc, retail/industrial use by the active areas.