Waverley Borough Council has voiced strong concerns over proposed changes to Farnborough Airport's operating conditions, warning that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping document risks overlooking significant effects on local communities and the natural environment.
The council has formally responded to Rushmoor Borough Council's EIA Scoping Request, which relates to a planning application to vary several conditions of the airport's existing permission. The changes would allow increased aircraft movements on weekends and public holidays, revise weight categories for aircraft, and update public safety zones in line with government guidance - all within the current cap of 50,000 annual movements.
Waverley is calling for a comprehensive and regionally inclusive environmental review that reflects the cumulative and long-term impacts of increased air traffic.
Noise pollution remains a major concern for residents in areas such as Tilford, Farnham, and surrounding villages, many of which lie directly under flight paths. The council says the current reliance on average noise metrics masks the disruptive nature of individual aircraft and insists maximum noise levels and frequency of disturbances be included in the assessment.
Climate change is also a key factor, with Waverley highlighting a marked increase in westerly operations - now occurring around 75% of the time - and the growing influence of changing wind patterns on flight routes. The council insists that these shifts, along with the impact of extreme weather events, must be reflected in the baseline data used for the EIA.
Concerns have also been raised about the narrow geographic scope of the assessment, which focuses primarily on Rushmoor and Hart. Waverley says this fails to account for the wider impact on communities across its borough, including those in protected landscapes such as the Surrey Hills National Landscape and the Wealden Heaths Special Protection Area.
The council is also questioning the robustness of the traffic and air quality modelling, particularly in relation to the Farnham Air Quality Management Area and has called for a more realistic approach to assessing the combined impacts of both airport expansion and future development.
Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Councillor Steve Williams, said:
"We remain firmly opposed to any expansion of Farnborough Airport that increases noise, pollution, and disruption for our residents and communities. These proposals may be presented as modest or technical changes, but they form part of a wider pattern of incremental expansion that demands proper, independent scrutiny. Our residents cannot be expected to endure a slow erosion of quality of life - our environment cannot suffer death by a thousand cuts.
"We are calling on Rushmoor Borough Council to ensure that the environmental assessment is genuinely comprehensive, transparent, and reflective of the real impacts - not just within Rushmoor, but across the wider area affected by the airport's operations. Waverley will continue to stand up for our communities and the environment, and we will not hesitate to act if those interests are ignored."