Luton Rising, the owner of London Luton Airport, has opened a new statutory consultation on its long-term proposals to expand the airport.
Airport owner Luton Rising proposes increasing the capacity of the airport to 32 million passengers per year by building a new terminal and making better use of the existing runway.
Its website has details of 13 events where members of the public can see the proposals and ask questions, as well as films, information packs and a special virtual exhibition room. Responses to the consultation can also be submitted online.
Councillor Javeria Hussain, chair of Luton Rising, said: “Our proposals reflect the sustainability values, both of Luton Rising, and our sole shareholder, Luton Council. We want to maximise the social and economic benefits of growth and firmly believe there is a way to grow an airport in a sustainably responsible way. Our consultation sets out how we propose to achieve this.
“Sustainability is about more than environmental issues – it’s social and economic impacts too. Our airport is a vital part of the economic ecosystem of the region and beyond, directly and indirectly supporting tens of thousands of jobs.”
According to Hussain, the proposed expansion will create thousands of jobs and generate an additional £1bn in economic activity in Luton and the neighbouring counties. The proposals include a draft employment and training strategy.
“These proposals differ in significant ways from those presented at the previous statutory consultation in 2019,” said Graham Olver, chief executive of Luton Rising. “For example, our new Green Controlled Growth framework is at the heart of our sustainability measures, which we believe are some of the most far-reaching ever put forward by a UK airport. It places robust limits on key environmental impacts and will not rely on our good faith to keep to them. They will be legally binding and independently monitored.
Olver encouraged as many people as possible to look at and respond to the proposals. He stressed that this was the public’s chance to see how the views expressed in 2019 had been reflected in the revised proposal.
London Luton Airport is owned by Luton Rising, a Luton Council company. It is operated under a concession until 2032 by a consortium led AENA (the majority shareholder) and AMP Capital, a specialist global investment manager.
