News

People living near Lydd's London Ashford Airport, have voted against expansion plans following a referendum.

Around a third of residents from Lydd and Romney Marsh turned out to answer if they supported or opposed plans which would see a new passenger terminal and an extension of the current runway.

Lydd residents voted 741 in favour and 916 against, while in New Romney 396 were in favour and 1,288 against.

The airport's owners said the referendum was a waste of money and that there had already been much consultation on the plans, which included meetings in the local area overseen by Shepway District Council.

Supporters of the plans say it will bring new investment and jobs to the area, while opponents say that the marshes would be damaged by the development.

The proposals for London Ashford Airport include a new building that would be able to handle 500,000 passengers a year, and the runway would be extended from 1,505m to 1,799m.

Airport bosses have also outlined a second phase of development that would require separate approval for facilities that could accommodate two million passengers a year.