REACTION to Government proposals for a new airport at Cliffe has been swift.

Diana Barker, vice-chairman of the Dickens Country Protection Society, said: "I can promise you we are not NIMBYs but why does everything have to be in North Kent? We already have the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the widening of the M2 and the Bluewater development.''

The society also argues that the international environment convention RAMSAR has identified the North Kent Marshes as being of international importance.

Environmental group, Friends of the Earth (FoE), argued Cliffe is the "worst place you can put an airport”.

FoE campaigner, William Knott, said: "From an environmental point of view Cliffe would be the worst place in the world you can place an airport.

"It has one of the largest RSPB reserves in the country, is a Euro-designated special protection area and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.”

FoE claims the Government's regional air studies on which the expansion plans are based, are "flawed and misleading.''

According to Medway MP Bob Mr Marshall-Andrews, early plans feature no north to south runways, so planes would not fly over Rochester and Strood.

"If the runways are east to west, which is more likely, it is unlikely that the main conurbation will suffer noise pollution,” he said.

"But areas that could suffer significant problems could be villages on the Hoo Peninsula such as High Halstow; Higham and also parts of Dartford and Gravesend.

"You are affected if you are under a flight path and are approximately 10 miles from the airport.

"But it is unacceptable that anyone should suffer from this airport. Even if it is a smaller amount of people they are affected 100 per cent.''

Dartford MP, Dr Howard Stoate, said that the planes were expected to take off over Dartford, but added: "It is clear that Gravesham will be more likely to be affected."

Virgin chief, Sir Richard Branson said Transport Secretary Alistair Darling had shown courage in announcing the airport expansion plans.

“The issue of runway capacity in south east England has been ducked and dodged by successive previous governments. The result is that the travelling public in the south east of England are faced with the most heavily-congested airports in Europe and the nation is at serious risk of losing its pre-eminent status in air transport to its continental European counterparts.”

Information about the consultation process and copies of all the consultation documents and some main background documents are available at www.airconsult.gov.uk