The airport expansion would allow larger planes to operate

Millions of pounds have been invested in the Romney Marsh airport and now the owners want to expand the runway in order to operate jet aircraft.

The Lydd Airport Action Group claims the plans would ruin both residents' quality of life and the environment.

An airport spokesman said it would be less harmful on the evironment as flights go in and out over the sea.

The quality of life for thousands of people in this area would be degraded Louise Barton

If plans for the runway extension go ahead the airport is hoping to handle up to two million passengers by 2011 increasing to six million by 2021.

A study of the likely environmental impact is currently being carried out before a planning application is submitted.

Louise Barton from the action group said residents are not against airport expansion but "it has to be in the confines of the existing runway".

She is concerned that the increase in the number of car journeys and flights would bring excess noise and pollution and affect property prices on the marsh.

"The quality of life for thousands of people in this area would be degraded by this expansion," she said.

But the managing director of the airport Zak Deir said people were worrying unnecessarily.

"Everyone is panicking for nothing because if the environment agencies find that we are going to harm the area then we will not be able to go ahead with the plans.

"These plans were approved 10 years ago as part of a public enquiry but it is only recently that people have raised concerns," he said.