Representation by Teresa Jane Morgan
- Date submitted
- 18 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I work at a primary school on the proposed route to a second terminal from Vauxhall Way. School children have to cross Wigmore Lane and Crawley Green Road to get to and from my school. Subjecting children to increased traffic without a foot tunnel is unacceptable despite plans to flood the area with traffic lights. The use of residential roads to get to and from the airport is grossly irresponsible from a Labour Council that is not representing the interests of Wigmore, as they have no councillors in Wigmore or the surrounding wards. The proposed Eaton Green Link Road breaches the Luton Local Plan that was put in place to protect Wigmore and Crawley Ward from excessive traffic. This has been in force for over 20 years, but the Council thinks it is acceptable to breach it when it is their planning application, making the Luton Local Plan a pointless Council document that the Council is free to ignore when it suits them. Wigmore Park and its County Wildlife Site is the jewel in the crown in the Wigmore area. It is walkable from the immediate area and does not require a drive to get to a Hertfordshire extension. The park is a vital asset for the well-being of residents who already have to put up with excessive aircraft noise particularly overnight when people are trying to sleep. Also a park extension in Hertfordshire will not count as Luton Open Space. The plans include cutting down acres of mature trees and removing over one million square metres of vegetation. Tree removal also extents the length of Vauxhall Way, where a dual carriageway is proposed, and on the roundabout of Wigmore Lane and Crawley Green Road, as well as grass verges throughout Wigmore and Crawley Ward. The plans include building thousands of extra car parking spaces in a variety of new car parks. These car parks will be located in Wigmore Park and a field adjoining Wigmore Park. This undermines the claims that the Dart will reduce car traffic heading to and from the airport. Also the Dart only serves north and south routes and not passengers living east and west. There is also the plan to build a decked car park that will overlook homes opposite Eaton Green Road, which is also unacceptable. The use of an Eaton Green Link Road will result in more holidaymakers parking outside homes in Wigmore. The Council and the airport have already made it clear that they expect residents to pay for a problem they have created. This is what happened in Vauxhall Park when the Council refused to ask Luton Rising or the airport operator to fund a parking scheme for that area, which the residents were then forced to pay for. I also have real concerns regarding the disturbance of the Council Landfill Site. It was capped for a reason but now the plan is to dig it out. This will happen within metres of a children's play area in Wigmore Park and close to residential homes. The plans make many promises but Luton Rising can't be trusted to carry them out. I have no doubts that breaches in protocol will take place to save money. For the above reasons I oppose this application.