Proposals for a 1,800-home development on the airfield where the BBC’s Top Gear is filmed in Cranleigh, Surrey, were submitted by current owners Dunsfold Airport Ltd and property developers Rutland Ltd in December 2015.

A response was expected by 7th April. However, in March the EA published a report objecting to the plans due to a lack of flood-risk assessment. 

The report said developers need to prove that changes to the flood plain can be compensated for in order to prevent an increased risk of flooding elsewhere.

If the owners cannot satisfy these measures, they would need to revise the proposals to avoid changing the level of the flood plain.

Besides housing, the application includes 7,500m2 of care accommodation, a health centre and a primary school. 

Built in 1942, Dunsfold Aerodrome served as an emergency airfield for the Canadian Air Force, before later becoming a flight test centre for military aircraft such as Sea Hawks and Harriers. 

More recently the site was home to the BBC Top Gear team, with its runways used as a testing track.

The airfield has also featured in films such as Casino Royale and The Da Vinci Code.