Forgive me if I don't jump for joy at the news of an expanded Shoreham Airport.

The people of Shoreham, Lancing and East Worthing can now look forward to more traffic, more noise and more pollution - plus footing the bill for more expenditure on greater road and rail capacity.

Once again, at the behest of a few faceless businessmen, profit is being given precedence over human well-being and quality of life. Once again, we are not being told the full facts.

Should we ignore the large increase in asthma and other health problems our children are suffering?

Should we pretend global warming and rising sea levels are not staring us in the face and ignore the part aviation plays in this?

Isn't it time the people who live in the flight path and surrounding area were asked what they think and had their welfare taken into account?

It is time we were shown the true balance sheet for these plans and asked if we approve. That land and the air we breathe belong to all of us.

At a time when every scrap of land is being built on, why can't that precious bit of open space be treasured and seen as a resource which preserves and protects our environment.

One that might even make us happy to stay at home instead of whizzing around the world destroying our children's future.

-Celia Behan, Shoreham