Bishop's Stortford Independent
Sinead Corr
15 Dec 2025
Uttlesford district councillors have been told the economic benefits of expansion at Stansted Airport outweigh the limited harm.
Their officers have recommended that the planning committee approves growth to 51 million passengers a year when members meet on Wednesday (December 17) to decide an application from Stansted operator Manchester Airports Group (MAG).
In 2021, at appeal, MAG was granted permission for 43 million travellers to pass through the terminal annually, up from the previous cap of 35 million which was approved in 2008.
The airport wants to build on the 2021 approval by increasing the maximum number of passengers allowed by eight million without raising the cap of 274,000 aircraft movements a year, which includes passenger, cargo and other air transport.
Operational development is confined to construction of a small taxiway ‘fillet’ of approximately 22.8 sq m (245 sq ft) to accommodate safe use by larger aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 Max 10, to achieve higher passenger capacity within the aircraft movement limits.
The planning officers’ report to UDC’s committee, which previously tried to block growth, resulting in a costly appeal defeat for the council, says: “Significant weight is given to the clear economic benefits of the proposal and the strong alignment with national aviation policy supporting the best use of existing runway capacity...
