EMOTIONS ran high at a meeting held this evening (Friday) to discuss action on the expansion of London City Airport.

Campaign group Fight The Flights (FTF) claim the number of flights going in and out of the airport could soar to 217,000 a year, meaning more air pollution and more noise for residents in the Leyton/Wanstead area.

Dozens of people attended the meeting at the Quaker meeting hall in Bush Road and voiced concerns over high levels of noise and climate change issues, as well as the possible safety risk of so many flights going over a densely populated area.

It was also attended by Lib Dem MEP for London Baroness Sarah Ludford and Caroline Pidgeon, who is chair of the transport committee at City Hall, as well as representatives of FTF and HACAN, a campaign group against the third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Speaking at the meeting, Lady Ludford said: "There's been a lot of talk about the threat of climate change.

"I would certainly acknowledge that climate change is the biggest threat we face."

She also vowed to take residents' concerns to the European commissioner for environment and called for greater use of rail over air travel.

The meeting saw Conservative councillors Ed Northover, also prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Leyton/Wanstead, and Laurence Wedderburn in attendance as calls were made for cross-party allegiance in preventing London City Airport's expansion.

It was hosted by Lib Dem PPC Cllr Farooq Qureshi.

And although no Labour councillors were present, council leader Chris Robbins pledged his support, in a statement released today, saying: “I have requested that officers respond to the current British Aviation Authority Heathrow consultation programme 'Noise Action Plan'.

"The noise level assessment team have also been asked to see whether any residents are entitled to the London City Airport Sound Insulation Grant Scheme.

"I am also requesting that Waltham Forest Council be able to join the London City Airport Consultation Committee which at the moment is only open to Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Greenwich, and Tower Hamlets.”

The Guardian has previously reported that Waltham Forest council was given the opportunity to comment on the expansion in 2006 by Newham Council, who gave planning permission, but failed to do so.

FTF has now said it is issuing a legal challenge against Newham Council and hopes to overturn the planning permission.

It was also claimed that average measurements of the levels of noise generated by flights from London City Airport have been inaccurate and HACAN plans to take its own readings from a flat in Docklands, which sits on the flight path.