Concerned residents in the district have rallied together to form their own group to look at the future expansion of Leeds Bradford International Airport.

Residents from across the area met on Monday in Horsforth and formed their own group to protect the community from any future expansion of Leeds Bradford International Airport.

The group is calling itself the Leeds Bradford Comm-unity Forum and outlined its aims to ensure residents were kept informed of future developments at the airport.

The residents were spurred on to take action following the launch of the Government's draft proposals in the Air Transport Review.

Groups spokesman Neil Hunt said: "It was a very positive meeting, there were a number of people there and we considered a draft set of rules.

"There was a range of views from people who were against the airport expanding and the threat of more aircraft flying over homes to the effects on local roads and people who felt that expansion would be inevitable."

The group decided on four priority aims at the meeting, they were as follows:

l The airport's existing and future impact must be a primary consideration when assessing developments and its growth should not be without an upper limit.

l To ensure information about significant airport plans are made available to members of the public and for the airport to liaise with local MPs and councillors.

l To lobby for action to be taken by appropriate organisations, airport companies, Leeds City Council in respect of the existing social and environmental impact on possible future plans.

l To secure proper consideration of issues of concern to local residents and to involve them in any consultations.

It will hold its first official meeting on Tuesday, January 14, where an official committee will be elected.

The venue of which has yet to be arranged.

Mr Hunt stressed that the group is not an anti-airport group, but that it just wanted residents to be kept informed of any developments.

"It is not an anti-airport group but if the airport does not behave in a responsible way then it will become an anti-airport group," he said.

"Local people would like to see any impact on the airport kept to a minimum.

"We have to accept it is part of the community and is a large employer.

"As long as we can keep the people in the area as informed as possible about what the reality is.

"A lot of people are working on the assumption it cannot grow further but it can. We just want to be informed about any developments."