Southampton Airport expansion: Council decision delayed until 2021

A decision on the proposed extension of Southampton Airport's runway has been delayed until next year.

The airport wants to lengthen the runway by 164m (538ft) to increase the number of flights and allow the use of larger planes.

An Eastleigh Borough Council committee was due to consider the application on 17 December.

A council statement said the delay was at the request of Southampton Airport to submit additional information.

No new date has been specified and the council said a further public consultation would be held on the new proposals, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Managing director at Southampton Airport Steve Szalay previously said the airport's future would be in doubt if it was not allowed to extend the runway to accommodate planes such as the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737.

Passenger numbers at the airport have fallen by 89% this year.

Local campaigners and Southampton City Council have objected to the plans on the grounds of climate change and noise levels.

Earlier this year, Southampton Airport amended the proposals following a number of public consultations.

Among the main changes were proposals to cap the airport's growth up to three million passengers per year by 2033.

The airport also proposed to increase the financial compensation for acoustic insulation to nearby households to £5,000.

It is not yet known what additional information airport bosses will add to the plans.