RESIDENTS say airport chiefs have ignored their concerns over future plans.

Bosses at Biggin Hill Airport published a master plan in January, detailing how they would like the airport to develop over the next 30 years.

If given the go-ahead by Bromley Council, 500,000 fare-paying passengers would pass through the airport each year and take-off and landings would increase from 75,000 to 90,000.

The South Camp area would be redeveloped to include a heritage centre, restaurant and hotel.

But Flightpath, an alliance of residents' associations and other groups, which has opposed the plans for six years and published its own assessment of the airport's development last year, is not happy.

Acting chairman Ray Watson said: "The airport's master plan virtually ignores all the concerns put forward by residents in recent months.

"This is a threadbare document which is almost an insult to the people of Bromley."

Flightpath says the master plan offers few solutions to noise and congestion increases and does not address the safety problem for the Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough, which is under the flight path.

It also raised concerns about pressures on the infrastructure and environmental damage.

A Biggin Hill Airport spokesman said: "The airport's master plan proposes tougher environmental safeguards than exist now.

"The hospital is outside the airport's public safety zone, within which the Government imposes restrictions on buildings.

"The airport will pay the cost of improving its infrastructure and the cost of noise insulation for those residents worst affected."