Campaigners have won their fight for restrictions on the number of flights from Oxford Airport that will hopefully keep aircraft noise down to acceptable levels.

More than 200 members of Oxford Airport Noise Abatement Group have wanted restrictions on the Kidlington airfield for years to prevent it being transformed into a major commercial centre running charter flights across Europe.

The airport asked Cherwell District Douncil for permission to build two new hangars, one among existing buildings and the other further out.

Members of the south area planning committee approved the first with restrictions on flying, but turned down the other as it was within the Oxford Green Belt.

Committee chairman Catherine Fulljames said: "A legal agreement limiting the number of flights will have to be signed before the hangar can be built. We were aware that people in villages around the airport suffer from more noise than those living in Kidlington.'

Robert Edwards, abatement group secretary, said: "This was a satisfactory outcome. There will be a limit on the number of flights for the first time.

"We have been asking for limits for 30 years but restrictions can only be imposed in conjunction with a planning application."

Mr Edwards said the restrictions would still allow about 150,000 flights a year.

He said: "The number of flights has dropped to around 80,000 a year at present, but if there is a big demand for pilot training the number will go up. There will also be restrictions on night flying."

Actor Ivan Kaye, who lives in St Michael's Lane, Begbroke, and has been campaigning about noise from the airport, said: "I do not think the restrictions go far enough.

"The weekends ought to be sacrosanct, so we do not have to keep breaking off conversations when the aircraft come over."

Steve Jones, managing director of Oxford Airport, was not available for comment.

In the past he has said any improvements at the airport would not have a significant impact on local people.