CONCERNS about the impact of changes to Glasgow Airport’s flightpaths have been raised in London by East Renfrewshire’s MP.

Paul Masterton met Aviation Minister Baroness Sugg after hundreds of residents in Uplawmoor complained the proposed changes would make their lives a misery.

The meeting was organised to help Mr Masterton get a better understanding of how changes to airspace consultations are carried out and how this is likely to impact people in Uplawmoor.

“Although the UK Government will not make the final decision on Glasgow Airport’s new flightpaths, it was important for me to be able to raise residents’ concerns about the consultation process,” said Mr Masterton.

“It was the Department for Transport that decided Glasgow Airport would need to move on to the newer Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidelines and it was reassuring to hear first hand why that decision was made, to ensure communities such as Uplawmoor get far more of a say in the process.

“I will continue to work with Uplawmoor Community Council to oppose the proposals and I pay tribute to everything it has done so far to make Glasgow Airport think again.”

Community councillors hit out after learning the proposed changes could see planes fly over the village as often as every six minutes.

A public consultation about the proposed flightpaths ended last month and locals are preparing to make their case for refusal to the CAA.

Community council chairman Rob Williams said Mr Masterton’s meeting with Baroness Sugg is good news for those opposed to the plans.

More than 400 responses to the consultation came from Uplawmoor last month, almost one for every adult in the village and surrounding area.

Airport bosses and the CAA are considering the consultation responses received from Uplawmoor, as well as those from other areas affected by the proposed flightpaths.

Last month, the airport was told its proposals, which had been prepared against the previous CAA CAP725 guidelines, would now be measured against the more stringent CAP1616 rules.

An airport spokesman said it is working with the CAA and Department for Transport to find out what it needs to do to satisfy the new process.

The CAA said: “For Glasgow Airport, this means it proposal will be assessed against the criteria of the new airspace change process.

“While this will require more work from the airport, we expect much of its completed work to date may meet some of the requirements of our new process. We understand this will be frustrating and we want to be clear this does not reflect any judgment about the quality of the airport’s consultation to date.”