Council approves Stansted Airport expansion plan

London Stansted Airport could become the UK's second busiest airport after councillors agreed to increase its annual passenger numbers to 51 million.

There is no plan to build a second runway or exceed the airport's limit of 274,000 flights a year, but the site's owner Manchester Airports Group wants to accommodate larger aeroplanes.

Uttlesford District Council's Planning Committee ruled in favour of the application earlier.

The airport, which serves 40 countries, has already started work on a £1.1bn expansion approved by the government in 2023.

The owner's latest plan sought to increase passenger capacity at the airport to between 48 and 51 million people per year by 2040, a rise from the existing cap of 43 million.

Stansted said 1,410 supporting comments had been submitted to the council ahead of decision day.

A record-breaking 29.3 million people took flight from Stansted in the year to September 2024, making it the UK's fourth busiest airport.

About 4,500 new jobs are expected to be created under the plan, which the council officers had recommended for approval.

An improvement scheme relating to junction eight of the M11 – at the A120 – would go ahead, as well as bus and rail services.

Organisations that have backed the expansion bid included the Essex Chambers of Commerce, University of Essex and Unite.

"The economic benefits are considered significant," a report prepared by Uttlesford District Council added.

A Takeley Parish Council spokesperson said: "The district council has recognised in its committee report that impacts on local roads are 'intangible' and 'difficult to anticipate with current modelling tools'.

"The approach of applying for two separate applications, before passenger numbers have reached 35 million passengers per annum, means that projection starting points cannot be verified and assumptions in the projections could have overestimated the number of people that will come to the airport by bus or train.

"The actual highways impact could be much worse than projected and Takeley Parish Council has called for extra highways funding for this uncertainty, to help support bus services, fund local road improvements and combat fly-parking problems."

Hertfordshire County Council had objected to the plan, stating not enough had been done to mitigate pressure the expansion would heap upon local roads and railways.

The authority, which governs an area bordering the airport, was also troubled by noise levels.

Further objections from parish councils and residents referenced concerns about increased noise, parking problems and air quality.

The airport previously said all representations had been "carefully" considered.

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