A decision on whether the proposed expansion of Luton airport will go ahead has been pushed back by three months.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced in December that the anticipated January date for a decision would now be moved back to April due to the complexities surrounding the application process.
Alexander, who is new in the job following the resignation of Louise Haigh, stated that the delay was crucial to allow her to get up to speed and “fully evaluate” the proposals which come with an estimated cost of £2.4 billion.
If given the go-ahead, the new airport would almost double the number of passengers it could accommodate annually, rising from 18 million to around 32 million.
The proposal includes the development of a new terminal, new taxiways and the refurbishment of existing structures, some of which date back to the 1970s, with a proposed completion date of 2043.
Te Transport Secretary stated in parliament: “We are committed to ensuring that all considerations are thoroughly evaluated.
“While the new deadline has been set, we aim to issue a decision as soon as feasible, taking into account all relevant factors.”
The expansion is being promoted by Luton Rising, a local economic development company that is sole owned by Luton Council whose boss blasted the decision to delay an outcome.
Paul Kehoe, the independent chair of Luton Rising, said: “This is now the third delay for a decision and naturally we are disappointed as we are ready to move forward with our plans as quickly as possible and bring in investment to start delivering the benefits. Equally we want to ensure the decision-making is robust so stand ready to provide any additional information that might be requested of us.
“Our application highlights how the long-term sustainable growth of London Luton Airport will bring incredible and transformational economic, employment and positive social impact benefits for Luton and the neighbouring regions.
“With over 11,000 new jobs, it would be the region’s biggest job creation programme in a generation, adding an additional £1.5bn more in the economy each year. Airport expansion is central to our mission to raising the standard of living and tackling deprivation in a town where poverty is too high and is fully deliverable without the need for any Government investment.!
Mr Kehoe pointed out the vast sums that the airport and generated for the local economy and the even greater sums it would be able to rake in if allowed to expand.
He added: “London Luton Airport is already by far the UK’s most socially impactful airport, as we’ve provided over £300M to support important Council front-line services since 1998, together with an additional £180M for vital voluntary, community and charitable organisations. Expansion would add an additional £13M more each year for local community organisations.”
As is common with any discussion of airport expansion, there has been opposition from local groups who fear for the environmental impact and disruption to locals.
The Department for Transport has stressed that the delay allows for all stakeholders to be engaged with and that the decision to delay does not influence the final decision on whether to grant development consent.