THREATS to the growth of Blackpool Airport have been grounded after Euro-MPs refused to support controversial plans to impose maximum noise limits on airports across Europe.

Airport authorities had argued that the proposal could have curbed investment and seriously affect operations, potentially reducing both the number of flights and the number of airlines able to use the facility.

Opposition to the plan was led by the North West Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies who called for noise limits to be agreed by local and national governments rather than by Brussels.

He said: "Noise from airports is a real concern to the people who live near them, but it cannot be heard many miles away. It is not a trans-boundary issue and does not need to be controlled by European law.

"Every airport is different and the way they affect surrounding communities varies in each case. To introduce one-size-fits-all legislation would be quite wrong."

The EU Noise Directive will now only require governments across Europe to measure noise in the same way and to prepare "noise maps" to highlight problems in urban areas.

A pilot study conducted in Birmingham has shown that by far the greatest sources of noise are the M6 and M5 motorway corridors.