Stansted Airport is set to be given the green light to raise the cap on the number of passengers it can serve by eight million.

The airport wants to increase the number of flyers it can serve from 35 million passengers per year to 43 million.

It submitted a planning application in February last year to increase the numbers and create new taxiways and nine stands for arriving planes.

The airport said the changes were needed to “enable optimal use of the runway, improving efficiency in the peak hours”.

Data showed the airport was likely to reach the 35 million passenger cap by 2022 to 2023.

Now planning officers at Uttlesford District Council have recommended the plans are approved.

The council’s planning committee will have the final say on November 14.

Campaigners are concerned the plans, if approved, would cause noise misery, traffic congestion and damage to the environment.

The planning report, which will go before councillors, said: “The Environmental Statement has demonstrated that there would be negligible impacts arising from the proposals.

“These have been assessed and tested by various consultees and issues arising have been addressed and appropriate mitigation measures identified.”

The report added: “It is considered that the proposal represents a sustainable form of development.”

But Peter Sanders, chairman of Stop Stansted Expansion, said: “Fortunately, the final decision will be made not by district council officers, but by our elected local councillors on the Uttlesford the planning committee.

“We must now put our faith in our elected representatives to do the right thing for the present generation of residents and for generations to follow.

“We need to trust our councillors to act not only in the interests of local residents, including those beyond Uttlesford, but also to have regard to the long term environmental consequences of the decision they are being asked to make."

A London Stansted Airport spokesman said: “We are pleased that the council officer’s report recommends approval of our planning application to increase passenger numbers within current flight and noise limits, subject to S106 legal obligations.

“This is an important step in the process and we look forward to the public speaking sessions on November 6 and 7 and then a decision being made by the planning committee the following week.”

The meeting will take place at the council offices in London Road, Saffron Walden, on Wednesday November 14 at 10am.