Shock of discovery of Luton Airport plan to expand up to 30 million passengers (not just 18 million)

Herts County Council has just discovered that Luton Airport’s owners – Luton Borough Council – are hatching plans to increase capacity not just to 18m passengers per year –  but to 30 million. HCC says this is frightening. 30 million is triple what the airport currently handles.  Their pre-application to the National Infrastructure Planning body refers to a planning application as early as end of 2013. The airport (and its owners, Luton BC) have indicated from the start that they would eventually like to see the capacity increased to 30m passengers per year. Yet the planning consultation they put forward publicly only talks of 18m. The current airport operators (a different company) made it very clear that even this would constitute over-investment, and that a realistic maximum for this “local” airport would be more like 16m passengers per year.  To aim for 30 million would require the applicaiton to be called-in by government.



Triple or bust

Posted on 
(HALE  – Hertforshire Against Luton Expansion)

 

Herts County Council has just discovered that Luton Airport’s owners are hatching plans to increase capacity not just to 18m passengers per year – double current levels – but to 30 million:  triple what the airport currently handles.

Their pre-application to the National Infrastructure Planning body refers to a planning application as early as end of 2013.

The Airport (London Luton Airport Ltd – LLAL – its shareholder being Luton Borough Council) have indicated from the start that they would eventually like to see the capacity increased to 30m passengers per year. Yet the planning consultation they put forward publicly only talks of 18m. The current airport operators made it very clear that even this would consitute over-investment, and that a realistic maximum for this “local” airport would be more like 16m passengers per year, given that it is only a quarter of the size of Stansted in land area, and only has one runway.

Yet behind the scenes it now seems that LLAL do indeed intend to apply for a further huge hike in passenger numbers.

A serious proposition to grow Luton Airport to 30m passengers a year – triple the current numbers – would massively disrupt the M1 and rail transport infrastructure, as well as blighting local communities with increased noise, pollution and night flights. It would seem very unlikely that the necessary development could be contained on the existing site, and the project would trigger being called-in by government.

It would then become very clear exactly what this govenment’s priorities are in planning and development terms: rational growth based on sound judgement, or support for a ludicrous airport expansion proposal in the middle an already crowded airspace and an already congested urban area, with insufficient transport infrastructure to meet even its current needs.

The pre-application details can be found by clicking on this link. Herts County Council’s press release can be downloaded by clicking here.

Latest details to emerge: minutes of a meeting between LLAL’s consultants and the Infrastructure Planning Commission can be accessed on this link.  [This contains the statement:  “It was explained that the FLE  (futureLuToN:Expansion) project envisaged 30 mppa.”

 

http://www.hale.uk.net/triple-or-bust/

 

 


 

 

23 May 2012

Hertfordshire County Council press release

Council uncovers plans for massive Luton Airport expansion

Hertfordshire County Council has discovered a potential planning application
to expand Luton Airport to 30 million passengers per annum – almost double
the size of the current proposed expansions.

Over recent months the owner of London Luton Airport (London Luton Airport Limited, its
shareholder being Luton Borough Council) has undertaken a public consultation on its
proposals to expand the capacity of the airport to 18 million people per annum (throughput
in 2011 being 9.5 million people per annum).

At the same time, the Operator of the Airport (London Luton Operations Limited – LLOL) undertook a separate public consultation on plans to expand capacity up to 16 million people per annum.

Both proposals have inevitably raised significant concerns among those communities potentially directly affected by the airport, particularly in relation to traffic congestion, air quality and aircraft noise.

However, local authorities adjoining the airport in Hertfordshire have just discovered that
behind the scenes the owner of the airport [Luton Borough Council] has been in discussions with the Planning Inspectorate (an agency of the government) for expansion of capacity of the airport to 30 million people per annum.

Any proposal for expansion of this scale would be made to the Inspectorate because it would be deemed as nationally significant and therefore subject to separate statutory procedures. The Inspectorate website suggests that a planning application is currently expected to be made potentially as soon as late 2013.

County Councillor Robert Gordon, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “I am
stunned by this news. Local authorities and communities alike are worried at the speed
with which even the current proposals to expand capacity up to 18 million people per
annum are being progressed, but have engaged in the consultations and await any
planning application in good faith.

“I am shocked to discover that even before the recent public consultations had taken
place the owner of the airport has already been in discussion with the Planning
Inspectorate about submitting a planning application to it to expand the airport up to 30
million people per annum as early as next year. Make no mistake, this is a huge
expansion proposal and represents a throughput not significantly different from that
currently experienced at London Gatwick and 10mppa more than currently experienced
at London Stansted.”

Robert continued: “The two separate proposals currently before us from the owner and
the operator of the airport for expansion up to 18 million people per annum are
extremely worrying in themselves and I continue to urge communities to remain vigilant
and respond to any planning application that comes forward in the near future. I’m sure
my views will be shared by other Hertfordshire authorities, particularly North Herts
District Council, St Albans District Council and Dacorum. I can only imagine the distress
this news is going to cause to local communities and action groups.”

Cllr Tom Brindley, North Herts District Council Portfolio Holder for Planning, Transport
and Enterprise said: “We are greatly concerned by this news. We were prepared to listen
to the case put forward to expand the capacity of the airport to 18 million passengers
per annum, but have concerns about the lack of infrastructure to support this and the
impact on residents of North Hertfordshire. We are extremely disappointed that in our
meetings with the airport owner and Luton Borough Council that they failed to mention
this potential planning application of nearly double the size of the current proposed
expansion. An expansion of this magnitude would be completely unacceptable to North
Herts District Council.”

Cllr Teresa Heritage, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Conservation at St Albans City and
District Council, added: “I am extremely concerned that the operator has gone to the
NIU whilst two consultations are currently taking place for up to 18 Million passengers a
year.

These earlier proposals would have a huge impact on St Albans District’s
infrastructure. The prospect of 30 million passengers a year is really quite frightening.
The impact on our roads, quality of life and additional flights going over all parts of the
district is not an attractive prospect.”
Ends


Notes for editors


London Luton Airport Limited public consultation on growth up to 18mppa can be viewed
here: http://www.futureluton.co.uk/


London Luton Airport Operations Limited public consultation on growth up to 16mppa
can be viewed here: www.london-luton.co.uk/masterplan/


Relevant link to the Planning Inspectorate –
http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/Eastern/

For further comment

Cabinet Member for Environment and Community Safety Richard Thake via the Press
Office on 01992 556802.


Issued By:
Jo Brown
Senior Press Officer, Hertfordshire County Council
01992 555582
www.hertsdirect.org/media

 

 


 

  • and

Plans to triple Luton Airport passengers

24 May 2012  (Luton Today)

PLANS to expand Luton Airport to fly 30 million passengers a year are not being pursued at the moment, the airport operator said today (May 24).

Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) councillors were ‘shocked’ to discover the potential planning application to triple passengers yesterday, which they said was expected to be submitted by late 2013.

Previous discussions between Luton Borough Council (LBC) and operator London Luton Airport Operations Limited (LLAL) had been looking at increasing passengers to 16 million – 18 million.

A LLAL spokesperson said: “At present, LLAL is concentrating upon the 18 millon passengers per annum (mppa) futureLuToN:Optimisation project. This means that a 30 mppa project is not being pursued for the time being. If this were ever to be pursued the proposal would have to be subject to the rigorous environmental impact assessment processes and public consultation that apply under the Planning Act 2008.”

The spokesperson said the Government identified the runway capacity at Luton Airport as being up to 30mppa, in the Future of Aviation White Paper.

He said LLAL had been ‘completely open’ about looking at ‘alternative development scenarios’.

He said: “We have always considered that growth at London Luton Airport is beneficial to the South East and that is why we are currently fully engaged in working on our plans to develop the capacity of the airport to handle 18 mppa.”

In 2011 the number of passengers travelling through the airport was 9.5 million.

Any proposal for expansion of the scale of 30 million would be made to the Planning Inspectorate because it would be deemed as nationally significant and therefore subject to separate statutory procedures.

HCC Councillor Robert Gordon, leader of HCC, said: “I am stunned by this news. Local authorities and communities alike are worried at the speed with which even the current proposals to expand capacity up to 18mppa are being progressed, but have engaged in the consultations and await any planning application in good faith.

“I am shocked to discover that even before the recent public consultations had taken place the owner of the airport has already been in discussion with the Planning Inspectorate about submitting a planning application to it to expand the airport up to 30mppa as early as next year. Make no mistake, this is a huge expansion proposal and represents a throughput not significantly different from that currently experienced at London Gatwick and 10mppa more than currently experienced at London Stansted.

“I can only imagine the distress this news is going to cause to local communities and action groups.”

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/local/plans-to-triple-luton-airport-passengers-1-3878847