Airport plans to hit the heights with growth plan

Further details on how London Luton Airport Limited plan to increase the airport’s capacity to 18 million passengers a year were further outlined by Steve Heappey, director of customer and corporate services at Luton Borough Council.

Proposed plans include a new dual carriageway road system to ease congestion and reducing a current traffic bottleneck, a multi-storey car park to replace the current short stay car park and a new airplane taxiway to increase capacity on the airport’s existing runway.

Mr Heappey told the Luton News: “Over the next six weeks we want to share the details of our plans, including the noise the expansion may bring and how we plan to deal with the road system, so that we can hear peoples views and make our plans as good as they can be.

“There are real benefits to be brought about by the expansion.

“It’s going to bring much needed jobs and lead to more people spending money in our region, more destinations to fly to and more frequent flights for busy destinations so that you can fly out and back on the same day.

“And any money brought in by it goes to the council so that council tax can be kept down, to fund services, including charitable organisations, and to build new facilities and infrastructure such as the Inspire Luton Sports Village.

“But that said a busy airport also brings with it negative aspects.

“We intend to continue to be a good neighbour.”

If the plans go ahead, a new apron where aircraft are parked will be built to provide additional aircraft stands with new piers providing undercover access to boarding gates.

Part of the terminal building will also be reconfigured and the current bus drop off point moved.

Public exhibitions further detailing plans are being held across Luton and affected areas of Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.

For more information and to air your views, log onto www.futureluton.co.uk, call 0844 225 0003, email [email protected] or send your views in writing to Freepost RSUB-UEZB-SYXJ, GL Hearn, 20 Soho Square, London, W1D 3QW.