Concerns over impact of Luton Airport expansion upon Hertfordshire

Hertforshire may struggle '¨to cope with plans to '¨double the capacity of Luton Aiprort, according to councl bosses.
Luton AirportLuton Airport
Luton Airport

London Luton Airport Limited, which owns the 
airport, wants to increase the number of passengers, from 16million a year to 38million by 2050.

This would mean 240,000 flights each year, or one every two minutes - and Herts County Council say 
local roads and environment may suffer.

Council leader David 
Williams, said: “I can 
imagine how nws of this 
proposal will be received in the communities in Herts whose lives are already blighted by aircraft noise created by the airport, even with the current passenger numbers.

“My main concern at this stage, therefore, is the 
impact this will have on those communities.

“My other immediate concern is the transport implications. How can that level of growth possibly 
be achieved without 
compromising the capacity of our road and rail systems, and how can it be done in a way which shifts journeys to the airport away from the car and towards public transport?”

Mr Williams made his comments at a time when another local authority - 
Dacorum Borough Council - has plans to build up to 25,300 new homes by 2036.

He added: “The growth agenda in this part of the country is huge.

“The future of the airport must be seen within the context of not only the potential opportunities, but also the constraints that may come with this.”