CBI Chief criticises Nottingham East Midlands Airport noise protesters
14.12.05
Britain's leading business and industry spokesman has said residents in rural Derbyshire should stop complaining about noise created by night flights at Nottingham East Midlands Airport. Sir Digby Jones, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), labelled protesters as 'landed gentry' and said them being woken up was a price worth paying to ensure economic success for the area.
The comments follow complaints from people living under the airport's flight paths. They want Nottingham East Midlands 'designated', which would mean a cap being put on night flights.
But Sir Digby said: 'I am very keen that East Midlands becomes the known hub for freight in Europe. What really worries me is that I am reading in so many places that landed gentry are saying these flights should be rerouted over our towns and do not want them over the countryside.'
He said rural residents should sacrifice their well-being in exchange for economic progress. But Mark Todd, MP for South Derbyshire, said: 'I would invite Digby Jones to visit the area before giving his opinions on it. I can assure him that the area is not full of landed gentry as he patronisingly describes them. People have every right to make objections about disturbances to their lives.'
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