Sir Mike Penning, Member of Parliament for the Hemel Hempstead constituency which includes the villages of Flamstead and Markyate, has condemned Luton airport authorities for their attempt to bypass a noise limit requirement in order to increase airport capacity. Luton Airport is planning to increase the number of passengers to 19 million per year.

Hundreds of people have spent time and effort submitting their objections to a planning application to vary condition 10, which limits the noise the airport is permitted to make. However, the airport authorities have now withdrawn that application in order to submit an alternative application. This effectively wipes out all those objections. 

The new application which seeks to vary conditions on passenger throughput numbers, noise contours (condition 10), car parking numbers and travel was lodged with Luton Borough Council on 11 January.

Sir Mike said:
“This new application will cause just as much, if not more, noise and traffic as the previous one. Yet by withdrawing and reapplying with a similar application, all the objections are lost.

“I am very concerned about noise levels over Flamstead, Markyate and surrounding settlements. I am especially concerned at any increase in night flights.

“I am also concerned that the much-reduced number of flights during the covid pandemic plays into the airport’s hands as people will have forgotten what it is like to be woken up by an increasing number of flights at night or very early in the morning.

“I am not anti-airport. I know that it is very useful – in normal times – for many of my constituents and also provides a lot of employment opportunities, but no one expected it to expand at such a shocking rate.

“It is also, to be fair, difficult to know for sure how air travel will look both after the pandemic and now with additional focus on environmental and climate impacts. It is too soon to be thinking about large scale expansion.

“I urge local people to make their objections known on the Luton Borough Council planning portal or visit the local campaign website https://ladacan.org/luton-airport-19-million-time-to-say-no/ for more information.”

Planning Application No. 21/00031/VARCON