Luton Airport expansion flies in the face of environmental commitments

The Government have ignored their own Independent Planning Inspectors’ recommendations and allowed Luton Airport to nearly double its passenger numbers to 32 million per year.

CPRE Bedfordshire has been objecting to these massive growth plans, 77,000 more flights and over 40,000 extra passengers a day, since they were first proposed.

Read more about our joint response with CPRE Hertfordshire to the application. 

The expansion will have a devastating impact on the surrounding area including the Chilterns National Landscape (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Green Belt land and the award-winning Wigmore Park. The local infrastructure cannot cope with this level of growth – which will cause significant noise and air pollution affecting many residents across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and adjoining counties.

All these concerns were recognised by the Inspectors who in their lengthy report concluded that the substantial harm caused by “additional noise, increase in traffic, the effects on the Chilterns National Landscape, the release of additional greenhouse gas emissions, landscape and visual effects and the effect on heritage assets” outweighed the socio-economic benefits including job creation. Because of this they recommended the application for expansion should be refused.

By ignoring these recommendations, the Government cannot credibly stand by Rachel Reeves’ Spring statement that this Government will “lead the way to Net Zero” – the Government’s commitment to ensuring that by 2050 we will not be adding to the amount of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere.

The evidence of climate change is all around us. The aviation sector is one of the major and fastest growing contributors to GHG emissions. Reducing these emissions is dependent on development and adoption of new technologies and working practices. Even the Aviation Sector are sceptical about how quickly and successfully measures such as large-scale production of sustainable fuel and electric planes can be developed and used effectively.

We appreciate that the Government is trying to create the right climate for growth, but surely not at what will be such a devastating environmental cost.

The Planning Inspectors report can be found here.

The size of the application meant that it was decided by Government who appointed a panel of five independent Inspectors to consider all the evidence presented and make recommendations to Government. The Inspectors reported with their recommendations in May 2024, however the Government delayed making a final decision until 3rd April 2025.