Luton Airport Expansion

On November 30th and December 1s, at meetings of The Development Management Committee of Luton Borough Council, the councillors voted 7 to 2 to allow the passenger numbers at the airport to increase from 18 million to 19 million a year. The meeting was attended by many opposition groups, such as Harpenden Sky, St Albans Quieter Skies, Hitchen Forum, Ladacan and a representative of the Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils, an organisation which we support. They voiced the concerns of many Hertfordshire residents about the noise and pollution levels posed by the current flight numbers and pointed out that legal and binding agreements made by the airport have been consistently broken over the past few years.

It seems that although Luton Council own the airport they are also allowed to make decisions about its expansion. This is a position that is often challenged by the opposition groups, which have consistently argued that these matters should be considered by independent enquiry. Unfortunately, this has not been agreed by government.

Luton Council have also agreed to loan Luton Airport a further £119 million.
More information about the meetings can be found by looking at the Ladacan website, including their checking of the facts given by an expert representing London Luton Airport Operations Ltd, a private consortium which runs the airport day to day.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor