Representation by Preston Parish Council (Preston Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 22 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Preston Parish Council objects to the proposals put forward and strongly oppose any further capacity expansion at Luton Airport for the following reasons: Impact on Communities: The quality of life in Hertfordshire has already been degraded by the numbers of arriving and departing flights at Luton airport. The proposed expansion would lead to an increase in noise, pollution and light pollution which would further impact on Hertfordshire residents causing loss of sleep and other negative health effects which have an impact on people’s wellbeing. Wigmore Valley Park: While we acknowledge that plans include the provision of additional parkland to replace Wigmore Valley Park which will be used for the proposed new terminal, we object to the proposal because overall a large amount of green space will be permanently destroyed to the detriment of the local and wider community, wildlife habitats will be lost and irretrievable damage will be caused to an area of outstanding natural beauty. It has been proven that green space is beneficial to health and well-being and this vital aspect would be removed from the lives of people in the surrounding area who at present have a larger area of green space and countryside than would be available if this proposal went ahead. Road Infrastructure: Preston is a small village with very narrow lanes which are already busy at peak times with traffic between Luton and Stevenage using the village as a short cut rather than travelling on the A505 and A602 which are often grid locked. These lanes were not built to withstand the current amount of traffic, let alone the increase which the proposed expansion of passenger numbers would create. This would further damage and erode the lanes and have a detrimental effect on the daily lives of local people. The position of the proposed Terminal 2 at Wigmore Valley Park means access would be easier from the rural lanes and villages than from the main roads through Hitchin and Luton and this is not acceptable. Climate Change: Future Luton has not taken climate change into account in these proposals. Preston Parish Council would like to see the owners and operators of London Luton Airport focus on delivering appropriate mitigations for noise, pollution and increased carbon emissions and ensuring that they abide by all the current planning conditions, including the numbers of both flights and passengers before expansion is considered.