10 Sep 2023
A push to expand London Luton Airport to become at least as big as Gatwick has been opposed by a community group.
The Harpenden Society has set out its objections to plans for LLA to increase its capacity from 18m to 32 million passengers per annum (ppa) – just under the 32.8m recorded by Gatwick in 2022 [down on the pre-Covid figure of 46.6m in 2019].
The society produced an in-depth response to Luton Rising’s proposal for a DCO (Development Consent Order) with all the associated infrastructure development, focusing on the key issues of climate change, aircraft noise, the need for the development and the funding position.
On climate change the society proposed that, if the development is given the go ahead, it can only begin on the basis of the terms proposed by the Committee on Climate Change in their report to Parliament of June 28.
This stated: “No airport expansions should proceed until a UK-wide capacity management framework is in place to annually assess and, if required, control sector greenhouse gas emissions and non-CO2 effects.
“A framework should be operational by the end of 2024. After a framework is developed, there should be no net airport expansion unless the carbon-intensity of aviation is outperforming the Government’s emissions reduction pathway and can accommodate the additional demand.”
The society went on to stress that Luton Rising’s expansion plans will not see any reduction in the noise that communities suffer presently over the course of the development and beyond.
It says the proposed noise limits will remain at a higher level than the long-term noise limits agreed when the airport’s application to grow to 18 million ppa was approved.
Finally, the society emphasised that the development is highly speculative, with few economic benefits to offset the clear environmental harms and no evidence to suggest that either Luton Rising or Luton Borough Council can fund the development or that a third party investor is willing to underwrite it, except, possibly, on terms that will undermine the social benefits that Luton Rising is claiming the development offers Luton.
Chair Jeff Phillips said: “The application is wholly speculative in its claims, and is wafer thin on any real defensible logic for it. It also provides little or no practical economic benefit to offset the harm done to the surrounding residential areas. Furthermore, it flies in the face of the Government’s instructions to Luton Borough Council to mitigate its financial dependence on the revenues generated by the airport.
“What is also galling is to find the Government is now back-tracking on its declared climate control objectives to the detriment of the whole country.”
Nick Platts, managing director of Luton Rising. said: “Our proposals would provide significant benefits for Luton, the region and the wider UK economy, creating up to 10,800 new jobs, £1.5bn additional economic activity every year and up to a further £14m annual funding for vital voluntary, community and charitable services across Luton and neighbouring areas.
“We fully understand that many people have concerns so we have changed and strengthened our plans and mitigations after listening to people’s views as a result of each of the major consultation exercises undertaken.
“However, this is absolutely the right thing to do for the future of Luton and the wider region.
Over half of the jobs at the airport are held by people from outside Luton including 1,200 in St Albans, Dacorum and North Hertfordshire, worth millions of pounds a year to those areas. The airport is also often used by residents from those areas, with people living in St Albans City and District using the airport on average 3.8 times (1.9 return trips) in 2019.
“London Luton Airport is also different to other airports – in a town where too many households are living in poverty, we simply cannot afford to ignore the crucial economic benefits the region receives as a direct result of our public ownership.
“Since 1998 Luton Rising has provided more than £300m to support vital local front-line services, together with an additional £180m for community investment projects that have transformed the lives of tens of thousands of vulnerable people.
“London Luton Airport is wholly owned for community benefit, so naturally, we are conscious of the airport’s environmental impact. We believe our sustainability measures will be some of the most far-reaching commitments to minimise environmental impacts ever put forward by a UK airport.
“Our unique proposals for a Green Controlled Growth framework would also bring into force for the first time clear limits for environmental impact, beyond which growth would not be able to take place. This process will be written into law, providing surety for residents.
“Our plans also include action to directly mitigate noise impacts, through designing the infrastructure to reduce the amount of time aircraft engines need to run while on the ground, providing a best in class noise insulation programme for households affected by noise above a certain level, and noise screening of noise-intensive areas.
“We’ve also developed a set of noise control measures through consultation with stakeholders and community groups, including retention of the limit for aircraft movements at night. The airport will have a legal obligation to comply with the noise measures, which have an in-built mechanism to reduce over time with technological advancements in aircraft noise performance.”
