Luton Friends of the Earth warn climate action plan positives will be wiped out by airport expansion

A local authority's aim for zero poverty in Luton by 2040 is "unachievable", according to local environmentalists.

The "sale of Luton’s second biggest park" makes the target "even less attainable if people’s health gets worse from pollution," warned Luton Friends of the Earth.

It accused the borough council of choosing to "ignore the vastly damaging CO2 impacts of airport expansion on people in the town and across the world".

A two-month public consultation on London Luton Airport expansion to 32m passengers is under way.

"Success doesn't have to mean expansion, but a slimmed-down and more efficient business," said the environmental group.

"Before asking the government, the council must do this costly statutory consultation if it's to achieve its wild hope of expanding the airport from 18m passengers pre-Covid to 32m.

"How do councils across the rest of UK manage without an airport? The better ones follow best practice, and choose green projects, leaving Luton way behind in its own dust and pollution.

"All positive action by residents and LBC towards achieving the council’s climate action plan would be wiped out by its promotion of airport expansion."

Luton FoE has seen a letter sent to local authority staff from Labour council leader Hazel Simmons and corporate director Luton Rising Graham Olver.

"A consultation should be an entirely neutral exercise, open to scrutiny for any bias," it added. "Luton Rising’s new website is full of greenwash, all undeliverable promises.

"The council has just approved the sale of Wigmore Valley Park to its airport company for development. Air travel is the highest carbon form of transport.

"The council leader is trying to influence all staff to support airport expansion, and to persuade others including community groups. The conflict of interests is blatant."

Conservative Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami has complained to Parliament about Luton’s conflict of interests and is encouraging residents affected to sign an online petition opposing airport expansion.

"These plans will cause excessive strain on local transport networks," he explained. "They'll also cause a detrimental impact on nearby communities through increased noise and air pollution."

He intends to send the petition to the Secretary of State "to show how strongly local people feel that the development consent order (DCO) shouldn't be granted".

In the letter, councillor Simmons referred to dividend payments contributing "£250m to the council’s coffers" since 2001.

"The difference this made in terms of allowing us to maintain vital front line services and protect jobs cannot be overstated," she said.

"The airport has provided more than £120m to local third sector organisations and charities since 2004.

"Vital work done by these many organisations critically helps address issues within our communities which might otherwise add to the demands being made on our already stretched service budgets.

"This is why our future plans for the airport are so important and why we really need all council colleagues to engage with the imminent consultation process, talk about the issues with friends, family and any community groups you may be involved with, and help ensure that the forthcoming debate is heard in its full context."

Mr Olver described environmental issues as "paramount during the forthcoming consultation" and urged "all council staff, whether in their capacity as a resident, an employee or both, to fully engage with this process and help us make the argument for a thriving airport".

He said: "Our new name and strapline – our airport, our community, our planet – embody these values."