East Midlands airport set to expand

East Midlands airport expansion has been given backing by the local council to go ahead despite opposition claims of increased noise and air pollution.

The Castle Donington airport originally applied in September 2000 for an extension to the runway to allow cargo planes carrying larger loads to take off.

The airport expansion would attract more long-haul cargo carriers, especially ones from America.

Opposition to the plans suggests that the £4m scheme would result in further disturbance from jet engine noise for nearby residents as well as an increase to air pollution.

The Leicestershire County Council report refutes the opposition's claims, arguing that increasing the runway by a further 190 metres would result in minimal environmental damage.

The county council report says: "These large planes could depart at greater payloads and would be slightly noisier as a result. However, any increase in noise levels would be largely over sparsely-populated areas.

"The nearest settlement of Kegworth would not experience any increase in noise, because aircraft would be commencing take-off further away on the extended runway and pass higher over the settlement."

Peggy Beddoe, a Castle Donington local, said the report was not detailed enough.

She said: "I'm very disappointed that the county council has taken this superficial view. I do not even think the council has considered the health implications.

"This will bring a huge increase in traffic, a huge increase in noise and very much an increase in air pollution."

Graham Stocks, of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, said: "It appears now that the economic benefits the airport brings are outweighing the environmental costs."