TAG Farnborough Airport is the UK’s leading business only airport. The Airport is approaching the limits of annual flight movements allowed under the planning permission granted by Rushmoor Borough Council in 2000. TAG Farnborough intends to apply for planning permission to increase the number of annual flight movements from 28,000 to around 50,000. Unless the current planning limits are extended, the Airport will be unable to grow commercially despite evidence of current unmet demand and predicted growth in the business aviation sector.

In advance of submitting a planning application, TAG Farnborough prepared a draft Master Plan setting out its plans for growth to 2019 and indicatively to 2030. BPPA devised and implemented a local political engagement strategy and full community consultation programme.

The community consultation programme was held in two stages:

• Phase 1: a preliminary public consultation to 13,500 residents to gather information to inform the draft Master Plan; 
• Phase 2: a subsequent more comprehensive consultation to 96,000 residents on the draft Master Plan itself, involving a series of public exhibitions and meetings.

It is likely that Secretary of State will call in the decision to grant planning permission. Therefore, in addition to the public consultation programme, BPPA has devised and managed a national political engagement strategy to help build awareness and support for Farnborough Airport within government and amongst opposition parties.

The Master Plan consultation is only the first stage of the process. TAG Farnborough is due to submit a planning application in Spring 2009.