New runway at Castle Donnington Airport 'will not damage air quality'

A new report has concluded that a runway extension of the Castle Donnington Airport in the East Midlands would not significantly impact upon the air quality of the area.

Leicestershire County Council has concluded that the requested £4 million 190-metre extension would not negatively effect the airport's surrounding environment or air quality.

The move would make the airport, which is the country's third-largest freight hub, more attractive to incoming aircraft from countries such as the US.

According to the report, "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".

Another airport expansion which has faced opposition of late is that planned at Heathrow.

Earlier this month, a coalition of groups, including Greenpeace, WWF-UK and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, announced they would challenge the proposals in court.