Representation by Alison Janet Ewer
- Date submitted
- 22 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The airport expansion will severely impact the quality of life and well-being of myself, my family and my local community. The increased air pollution resulting from the expansion will cause a growth in long-term health problems, such as chronic respiratory diseases, for those of us living close to the airport. The increased noise pollution resulting from the expansion will cause extensive harm to everyday life and enjoyment for those of us living close to the airport. We already suffer from sleep deprivation due to the noise created by the airport at night, we are unable to relax in our gardens after work or at the weekend and often struggle to make ourselves heard over the noise of planes taking off and landing. The expansion would see the destruction of vital local green space, which is a precious commodity in a heavily congested urban area like Luton. This green space is not only a natural habitat for wildlife but an essential space that greatly benefits our physical and mental health, and something we use regularly. We are already seeing an increase in the traffic in and around Luton because of the airport becoming busier, post-COVID. We have a problem with people who are flying out of Luton using our local streets for their holiday parking, exacerbating the congestion problem. Luton’s streets are already over congested and cannot cope with the increases in traffic that the expansion will bring. The new DART link is not being used and is not alleviating the problem of congestion. I see the queues of people waiting for buses and taxis to take them to the airport, and the near-empty DART travelling back and forth. Houses are being bought, on our street and in the local area, with the express intention of being rented out either to airport staff or to holidaymakers looking for a stopover before or after their flight, coming and going at all hours of the day and night. Rented properties are less-well maintained and this can have an impact on the desirability of the area and the value of our properties, in addition to those points raised previously. This is likely to increase with the expansion of the airport and will erode the community we work hard to maintain, affecting the viability of essential community services.