Major expansion plans for London Luton Airport have been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
by Rory Butler / February 28, 2023
Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns the airport for community benefit, wants to increase passenger capacity from 18 million per annum to up to 32 million.
The Development Consent Order (DCO), which spans 25,000 pages and represents more than four years of consultation, details vast infrastructural changes to meet that aspiration.
It is understood the scheme will cost in the region of £2.4 billion.
What the proposals say
Consent is being sought for a new terminal, a major package of earthworks to create an extension to the existing airfield platform, and new airside and landside facilities.
Luton Rising also aims to enhance the surface access network (how people get to and from the airport) and extend the Luton DART (Direct Air-Rail Transit), an automated guided people mover connecting Luton Airport Parkway station and Luton Airport in Bedfordshire.
It also wants to further infrastructure enhancements and initiatives to support its target of achieving zero-emission ground operations by 2040.
The owners mention improved noise insulation plans, as well as binding and independently monitored environmental limits for carbon and air quality.
What happens next?
There now follows a 28-day period for the Planning Inspectorate, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport, to decide if the application meets the standards required to be accepted for examination, or if further documentation is needed.
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