Policy GESP14: Exeter Airport

To support the role of Exeter Airport in the economic success of the area the Greater Exeter councils will support investment in and work with the airport and other relevant stakeholders to define an Airport Development Zone (ADZ). A masterplan for the ADZ will be prepared to promote and guide developments that deliver on the following issues while maintaining the safe operation of the airport: 

1. Surface access, including:
   1. Active travel routes from nearby growth areas and Exeter
   2. Improved, dedicated, regular and high quality public transport routes from nearby growth areas, Exeter and the wider region including links to and from Cranbrook train station
   3. Improved vehicular access via a high quality gateway from the A30
   4. Improved car parking
2. Airport operation, including:
   1. Improved/expanded/new terminal building
   2. New or improved hangar and other freight services
   3. Airfield safety, security and emergency infrastructure
   4. Aviation training and back-office support development
3. Developments which support the aim to become a zero carbon airport and decarbonise aviation travel
4. Supporting ancillary development, including:
   1. New employment development (including aviation and transformational sector related development in particular)
   2. New hotel and conferencing development
   3. New ancillary passenger retail with the terminal building
   4. Redevelopment of existing employment areas to facilitate delivery of the above

6.27 Exeter Airport provides a key selling point for the region, giving access to markets and supporting high wage, high productivity jobs in the area. Up until March 2020 when Flybe entered administration, there had been year on year passenger growth since 2012, reaching almost 1 million passengers in 2018. Although there is significant uncertainty caused by Flybe entering administration, the opportunity that the airport provides and its importance in terms of strategic connectivity, means that its success is supported by the GESP as set out in draft policy GESP14.

6.28 A number of investments are underway or are planned – instrument landing systems and widening of the narrow Long Lane access route, for example. Further improvements have been identified across a range of issues to fulfil other objectives, including in relation to surface access, airport operation and the aim to become a zero carbon airport and decarbonise aviation travel. Inevitably, other supporting ancillary development will be necessary to facilitate and enable these improvements to take place, and hence draft policy GESP14 identifies what types of development might be acceptable. The Greater Exeter councils will work with the airport and relevant stakeholders to develop a new Airport Development Zone masterplan which will seek to address these issues.

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