Runway plans 'should be accepted'

If the runway is extended, transatlantic flights could be available

Experts at Leicestershire County Council have recommended that the authority does not object to an airport's runway extension plans.

East Midlands Airport bosses want to extend its runway by about 190m (623ft) to make it 3.08km (1.91 miles) long.

The airport said the extension would allow aircraft to fly from there to the United States.

North West Leicestershire District Council will meet in the summer to discuss the plans.

A spokesman from East Midlands Airport said: "We note the advice to the county council not to object to the runway extension and now look to the district council to approve the planning application without any further delay."

Noise is a serious environmental problem for communities around the airport David Taylor MP

But David Taylor, MP for North West Leicestershire, said he was disappointed the county council had raised no objections to the plans.

"Noise, particularly noise at night, is a serious environmental problem for communities around the airport and those who are under its flight path.

"We could have done something about this at this point."

Mr Taylor added that if the district council approved the plans, he would try to push for a public inquiry to stop the runway extension.

In the report, county council experts said they believed any increase in noise levels would be "largely over sparsely populated areas".

The report added that "there would appear to be no significant additional impacts on air quality and traffic generation" with the planned extension.

The issue will be debated by a meeting of the full county council on Thursday.

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Leicestershire County Council has no objection to the extension