Luton Borough Council has sanctioned expansion plans for the London Luton Airport (LLA) in the UK, enabling another one million more passengers to pass through the airport.
This plan by the local council, which owns LLA, will allow the airport to process 19 million passengers instead of 18 million in a year.
Earlier this year, the council’s firm London Luton Airport, which manages the airport, changed to Luton Rising.
This was done to evade confusion with London Luton Airport Operations, which is a distinct private consortium that runs the airport’s daily operations.
For obtaining approval, Luton Rising filed reports regarding the effect of the airport’s expansion on noise, air quality, waste, energy, ecology, groundwater and landscape.
It also gave assurance to execute necessary steps for mitigating the changes.
Earlier, Luton Borough Council’s development management committee gave planning permission ‘subject to conditions and a legal agreement.’
In its decision, the council also factored in the authority’s ‘local plan and national planning policy and guidance and other material considerations.’
Additionally, the authority said that the application will bear no impact on the Luton Rising’s long term proposals to enhance the LLA’s capacity to 32 million passengers annually.
Revisions to the existing noise contours, which quantify how many people are affected by noise from the airport, were also approved by the local council.
However, the opponents stated that it would create more noise at the airport, which is already not fulfilling the required conditions.
Groups opposing the plan include Harpenden Sky, St Albans Aircraft Noise Defence (Stand), Harpenden Society and St Albans Quieter Skies (STAQS).
Recently, LLA achieved Level 3 of the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme after implementing several sustainable measures.
