This Is Cheshire

EUROPEAN COURT RULES ON NIGHT FLIGHTS

From the Guardian Series, first published Thursday 4th Oct 2001.

A EUROPEAN court ruled yesterday (Tuesday) that night flights were an infringement of residents' human rights.

In a landmark decision the European Court of Human Rights decided residents were entitled to a good night's sleep, paving the way for a nationwide ban on night flights.

Speaking from the Commons after the judgement, Tatton MP George Osborne welcomed the decision and issued a warning to bosses at Manchester Airport.

"This is fantastic news and the first major blow we've struck against night flights," he said.

"We are on the road to ending night flights out of Manchester now that the court has decided people have a right to a good night's sleep.

"It doesn't mean that planes are going to stop immediately, but we can use this to put pressure on the Government to make changes."

Legal

Eight residents near Heathrow took their fight against night flights to the European Court of Human Rights four years ago.

They each won £4,000 costs after the court criticised the Government's handling of changes made to the number of permitted night flights in 1993.

Yesterday Knutsford's airport campaigner Jeff Gazzard said what applied to Heathrow applied to Manchester.

But he said there was still work to be done and threatened the airport with legal action if they did not act.

"We will issue them with an ultimatum to stop night flights between 11pm and 7am and will take legal action by January to force them to do it if they don't listen," he said.

"It isn't straightforward and although the law is now on our side getting the airport to comply will be

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