Representation by Christopher Peter Gorringe
- Date submitted
- 23 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly oppose the further expansion of Luton Airport, on the grounds of changes to benefits, impact on local communities, impact on wildlife, impact on wider environment and noise pollution Luton has already significantly increase its capacity between 2013 and 2019, during which time it broke its noise footprint planning limits. During this time it has failed to take the promised noise and environmental impact reduction measures. With the Oxford to Cambridge arc being cancelled the expansion is totally unjustified. All benefit figures contained in the business case relating to projected passenger figures & Oxford to Cambridge arc need to be re-examined in light of these changes As I live in a local community which now falls under the flight path, the mental health and wellbeing of [REDACTED] has been significantly negatively impacted. My once quite rural town is now plagued with flights from the early hours through the late an night. It affects our sleep with both my young daughters being woken up at night and in the orning by aeroplanes despite the use of white noise filters. The airport's locale means that its planes cannot avoid flying directly over communities, such as mine and those of the Luton residents. The proposals will significantly increase in the noise footprint which badly impacts communities all around the Airport. As we have seen from the previous expansion any promises to reduce or minimise noise will be ignored in the favour of corporate greed. As Luton caters for low-cost airlines, it will continue to generate noise very early and late into the evening. The expansion will make this worse, alongside the potential for noisy cargo flights. I have already seen the negative impact Luton airport has on rural communities, and with the proposed flights increase (with many compressed into the very early morning and late evening by the low-cost airlines), and anticipated significant jump in night flights (11pm to 7am, due to small print stating the limits only apply between 11:30 and 6am) the proposed impact will be unbearable. We know aircraft engines burn huge quantities of kerosene and create ultra-fine particles which damage health. Noise at night also damages health. Traffic emissions damage health. The proposed expansion is contributing to an unstable climate caused by global warming which damages people’s well-being. The expansion proposed is prioritising corporate greed over the health and wellbeing of local communities and the environment. With up to 30,000 additional passenger journeys each day by car to and from the Airport on local roads, on this count alone the expansion goes directly against the environmental targets set by the government. With a proposed increase in carbon emissions from the flights the impact on Climate Change is in direct opposition to the UN guidance that saying the next 10 years are crucial. The Committee on Climate Change has strongly recommended a reduction in demand for air travel. Aviation has been the fastest-growing source of carbon emissions. Its emissions are three times more damaging to the environment because they also lead to contrails, and release high-altitude pollutants. The proposal to destroy the second-largest park in Luton to build a new terminal, huge car parks and aircraft stands is not green growth – it is destruction of a County Wildlife Site. Wigmore Valley Park was given to local residents as compensation for development and as an open green space to act as a buffer between houses and the runway. Its ancient hedgerows and wild orchids cannot be replaced by sterile farmland. The prerequisite Luton Local Plan noise reduction requirement and planning conditions set by the Council to limit passenger numbers to 18 million per year before 2028, but is just being ignored. appear to be being ignored. Gambling Luton’s financial future on a noisy and polluting business is not sustainable – the local economy needs to be diversified.