Opponents of Luton's Wigmore Valley Park sale urged to beat today's 5pm deadline to express views

Today's deadline to comment on Luton Borough Council' s plans to dispose of Wigmore Valley Park to its airport company has been criticised by local Liberal Democrats.

They say the sale or rental is to enable the land to be used for the expansion of London Luton Airport.

The decision could see Luton Rising, the former London Luton Airport Limited, potentially rent the site, according to the town's main political opposition group.

Two members of Friends of Wigmore Park and Stop Luton Airport Expansion promoted their cause at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November.

They said at the time: "Wigmore Valley Park is a well-used community green space land and includes an established irreplaceable county wildlife site.

"Our group seeks to protect the park from LBC plans to build car parks, roads and a new terminal on it for airport expansion.

"There's no need to build over the park as sufficient brownfield space exists within the current airport footprint."

Liberal Democrat councillors are asking why there was "so little time given to respond" as a couple of weeks of the consultation covered the Christmas and New Year period. The public notice was published on December 8.

The group claims the local authority is planning "a long lease which will transfer Luton’s second best and biggest park to its airport company, which has proposals to concrete over most of it for a new access road and other development including terminal two".

"The reason is it's cheaper over the amount of earth moving you have to do. It's really sad.

"At the end of the consultation, a report will be drawn up saying how many responses there are and issues people have raised.

"Then the council will decide to go ahead and sell it anyway. It's a bit of a sham really because they've made their minds up.

"The local authority has to consult by law and doesn't have to take any notice of the outcome, as suits the council and its airport company.

"The executive will agree an outline of how long a lease should be and whether there'll be a capital payment up front or a long-term rental payment.

"It won't need to come back to committee," he added. "I expect it will be a substantial annual rent. That's a way of getting discounted money out of the airport company. For example, if it was a £1m annual rent, it would only cost the company £800,000 because of corporation tax relief on it."

Liberal Democrat councillors in Wigmore, Stopsley, Crawley and Round Green are against the council selling off the park and have been giving residents the opportunity to make their feelings known, explained councillor Franks.

The council has been through a formal legal process to advertise the disposal "of the open space land known as Wigmore Valley Park", according to its website.

Residents have until 5pm today (Jan 5th) to have their say by emailing CAM@luton.gov.uk or writing a letter to Mark Davie, Luton Borough Council, Third Floor Town Hall Extension, Luton, LU1 2BQ.