CITY bosses are set to voice their views on controversial plans to expand the runway at Southampton Airport.

Civic chiefs at Southampton City Council are going to decide whether the authority will continue to object to the plans to expand the airport runway by 164 metres.

As reported, the final decision on the proposals will be made by Eastleigh Borough Council on December 17.

But local councils  in Hampshire are asked to express their views.

In January this year Southampton City Council raised concerns over the environmental impact of the runway extension and decided to object to the proposals.

But the plans have since been amended and civic chiefs are asked to scrutinise them again and decide whether to support them or not.

According to the revised plans, the airport is now proposing to cap the  growth up to three million passengers per annum by 2033.

Further planning approval would be required to vary the cap.

The financial compensation for acoustic insulation to households would also go up from £3,000 as originally offered to £5,000.

The runway expansion would allow the use of planes such as the Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 – needed to reach holiday destinations in southern Europe.

The move is expected to create 2,902 new jobs.

In the report that councillors will consider tonight, city council officers said the runway extension”will lead to a significant noise impact”  and to “a massive increase in carbon dioxide”.

But they said they do not consider there are grounds to object to the proposal in relation to highways, ecology, air quality and tree matters.

In the report officers said: “The determining factors in relation to this application are considered to be the economic and social benefits of the airport expansion versus the noise impacts on residents of Southampton. The principal issues for further consideration are, therefore, whether or not the environmental disbenefits are outweighed for the purpose of a planning decision, by the economic and social benefits to Southampton accrued from the airport itself.”

As previously reported, campaigners raised several concerns over the impact of the plans on noise and pollution.

But airport bosses warned that future of the airport will be hanging in the balance  should the plans be rejected.