Airport,

Response to London Luton Airport expansion decision delay  

Paul Kehoe CBE, Independent Chair of Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns London Luton Airport and associated assets for community benefit, has responded to the written statement given to parliament earlier today by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. The statement announced a three-month extension to the deadline for the decision on Luton Rising’s Development Consent Order application for the long-term sustainable growth of London Luton Airport.

Mr Kehoe said: “This is now the third delay for a decision and naturally we are disappointed as we are ready to move forward with our plans as quickly as possible and bring in investment to start delivering the benefits. Equally we want to ensure the decision-making is robust so stand ready to provide any additional information that might be requested of us.

“Our application highlights how the long-term sustainable growth of London Luton Airport will bring incredible and transformational economic, employment and positive social impact benefits for Luton and the neighbouring regions. 

“With over 11,000 new jobs, it would be the region’s biggest job creation programme in a generation, adding an additional £1.5bn more in the economy each year. Airport expansion is central to our mission to raising the standard of living and tackling deprivation in a town where poverty is too high and is fully deliverable without the need for any Government investment.

“London Luton Airport is already by far the UK’s most socially impactful airport, as we’ve provided over £300 million to support important Council front-line services since 1998, together with an additional £180 million for vital voluntary, community and charitable organisations. Expansion would add an additional £13 million more each year for local community organisations.

“As we’ve demonstrated all along, we will not grow at the expense of the environment and believe our proposals have some of the most far-reaching commitments to the sustainable operation of an airport ever put forward in the UK. Our unique and ground-breaking Green Controlled Growth framework would introduce maximum limits for the airport’s noise, greenhouse gases, air quality and surface access impacts which would be governed by a new independent body with the ability to call a halt to growth if the airport does not keep within the limits.

“We look forward to a decision being made as quickly as possible.”