Back to list London Luton Airport Expansion

Representation by Helena Mary Catherine Cotter

Date submitted
23 June 2023
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses
  1. The potential expansion for me personally will affect the quality of life we all have around here - poor even at current levels. Air quality is worse than ever with the volume of traffic, the M1 and the airport combined. There is a permanent layer of black gritty matter on our windows and cars. Air pollution at it's finest. 2. Living directly in the flightpath, the difference in volume of aircraft, aircraft noise which is unbearable at certain times of the year, and the ever closer proximity to my home is unacceptable today, never mind with more aircraft as planned. 3. Having lived in the same property for 25 years, the current levels of traffic are now off the scale with people parking their cars on this and other local roads to go up to the airport. In fact, the road adjacent to here had to be resurfaced last week. All of us were notified in advance to move our cars or have them removed. It was mildly amusing watching vehicles which were dumped whilst the owners went on holiday via the airport came back to find their cars had gone. 4. Luton has 12% higher than the national average car use. To add to this is a diabolical prospect. 5. The plans by LBC to decimate many hundreds of very mature shrubs and trees on the approach to the airport via the A505 (to allow for all the extra anticipated airport traffic) would be an act of environmental vandalism on an enormous scale, a disaster in the making for nature and wildlife and should not go ahead at all. Ditto the destruction of a much loved and valuable park at Wandon End for the construction of a new airport terminal etc. Not very green. The planned replacement isn't one at all. It's the grotty end of the stick. 6. I am not against the airport. In fact, I love aeroplanes. During Covid, military aeroplanes used the runways for exercises. It was magnificent. Allowing though many extra holiday, cargo and private jet flights at all hours of the day and night is not on. I believe the DHL monster plane flew off the other day from Luton - to Heathrow. Seriously. How can that be acceptable? Trying to sleep is awful with the aircraft noise all hours of the night. Daytimes, you simply cannot sit in the garden on a sunny day as it is deafening. The back draught thing when the plane goes over causes huge gusts of wind. The stench of aircraft fuel on certain days is unbearable and sickening. 7. Breaching of the designated swathe is frequent. A paltry fine and a slap on the wrist isn't effective, patently. How about 3 strikes and your are banned for 6 months? After all, once the aeroplanes have flown over here, it's a bit late isn't it. 8. I worry about safety with increased numbers. We have more go arounds than ever before. Not good. 9. Having banged the drum for Luton for many years, I have noticed the airport recently appears to not be investing in much to help the town. Where are our flower tubs? What exactly do the airport now sponsor? We need a big piece of carrot with the stick. 10. What are the plans for the extra run off which would be generated? Are you currently meeting your legal obligations for this? H. Cotter