OK - lets go over this again as I've not made myself clear. The latest press statement has a quote from a spokesperson saying:
Central to our plans is maximising the potential of the whole airport site to provide other sources of revenue alongside our passenger and general aviation operations.
Haven't got a problem with that - exactly what they should be doing, and as I've stated previously this is what has happened so well at Liverpool (IMHO, a better example than DSA)
however, the statement also says
Similar housing schemes have been successfully developed at a number of other UK airports and the planned housing will be on land which will not affect airport operations nor hinder future growth
Now, I can't think of another airport where an airport company has promoted housing so close to the terminal complex - as HWU says hemming it in - and can't see how this won't hinder future growth. Where airports have developed around the terminal it ahs been complementary activities - hotels, car parking(!), logistics parks, etc.
Other than providing funding (admittedly not an insignificant benefit), can't see how having housing so close to the terminal is remotely complementary - far more likely to be the opposite...