Representation by Stephanie Killingbeck-Turner
- Date submitted
- 23 June 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Objections to the expansion of London Luton airport: Climate collapse - There is no shortage of evidence that the climate and biodiversity (and therefore the planet that we all rely on for our survival) is collapsing as a result of human activity. The latest IPCC report could not have put the evidence more starkly. - We know from scientific research that we have an extremely limited carbon budget remaining and that our current trajectory sees us in line for warming way above 2oC. Therefore we cannot afford any projects which contribute to this especially something as significant as a doubling in capacity of London Luton airport. - The local council in Luton declared a climate emergency, this expansion would go directly against that declaration. - Having previously attended a consultation by London Luton airport I was a made aware that the plan was to move sensitive plants, such as orchids, from Wigmore park to new areas in order to safeguard them in the result of an expansion. The idea that these plants can simply be moved completely ignores the fact that they grow in this area because the conditions are right for them. As far as I can see no efforts have been made to ensure that a new area would provide the same conditions. - The park is also a hugely important space for wildlife. The 70-acre park, a County Wildlife Site, includes thousands of orchids, bees, butterflies and over 60 bird species. - In addition you cannot create a pop up park. Trees take time to grow, a new sapling cannot absorb the same amount of carbon as a mature tree. - It is essential that the desire to expand in order to increase capacity and profit is weighed against the environmental cost of such a project. It is quite clear that the planet cannot support this expansion and therefore this is to the detriment of all human beings. A more important consideration than short term profit. Local community - An expansion of London Luton airport would hugely impact the standard of life of local residents, from the quality of their sleep, to their ability to enjoy green spaces and their right to breathe fresh air. - The level of noise pollution would increase massively as a result of expanding the airport. The noise is already intrusive in areas outside of Luton let alone for those living close by to the airport who would be subjected to flights taking off every two minutes from 6am, landing every 3 minutes between 10pm and 11pm, and then every 10 minutes until 2am. - Good quality sleep is known to be essential for good health. The WHO’s 2018 Environmental Noise Guidelines indicate that noise can cause Critical health outcomes such as Cardiovascular disease, Annoyance, Effects on sleep, Cognitive impairment; and Important health outcome such as Adverse birth outcomes, Quality of life, well-being and mental health, Metabolic outcomes, Hearing impairment and tinnitus. - The expansion would not only affect carbon emissions in the sky but would increase the number of vehicles already coming into an extremely clogged town. Luton is already one of the most polluted cities in the UK and residents have abnormally high rates of respiratory diseases. - There are schools along the route to the airport, playing outside puts very young children at risk of breathing in extremely polluted air. - The likelihood of even more traffic jams seems inevitable. Not only increasing the amount of pollution pumping into the air but increasing the amount of time local residents will be forced to sit in traffic going to work or other activities. - Paving over Wigmore park to create yet more parking and removing yet more green space as well as the buffer zone between local residents and the airport again disregards the needs of nature and local residents. - Wigmore park has previously been named as one of the 12 most loved parks in the East of England. It provides a wildlife-rich park on the edge of a densely populated town, so children and adults can connect with nature and get exercise near their homes. - Expanding Luton airport would not be in line with government instruction to reduce Luton’s financial dependency on the airport. Nor would it diversify the local economy to provide more sustainable jobs for local residents. The debt incurred thus far is around half a billion pounds.