A Harpenden family have forked out £5,000 for new double glazing beneath Luton Airport’s flight path to protect from the noise of planes, a resident has claimed.
On the first day of the airport’s expansion hearings, a campaigner against the move said there is a “motorway above us in the sky”, while another pointed out carbon experts want a UK-wide aviation strategy before more expansions receive consent.
The Government’s Planning Inspectorate kicked off the six-month examination process into Luton Rising’s proposed airport growth, with meetings at Venue 360 on Thursday, August 10.
National Infrastructure Planning law dictates the process must end on February 10, 2024.
After that time, the Levelling Up secretary – a post held by Michael Gove MP – will decide to grant or refuse development consent.
Luton Borough Council’s company Luton Rising, which owns the airport, wants to build a second terminal to help lift its capacity – from 18 million passengers per annum (mppa) to 32mppa.
The plans also feature new aircraft stands and an extension to the existing terminal buildings.
At an open floor hearing, Philippa, a member of the public who lives on the east side of Harpenden, told the panel she had to sleep in the front side of her house because planes over her back garden were too noisy.
“I have lived in Harpenden for many years,” she explained.
“For most of that time, Luton Airport was a good neighbour.
“But over time, the aircraft noise has increased. They come over the back of our house and you get a rumbling noise for a brief period of time.
“In 2018 to 2019, we moved out of the back bedrooms in our house.
“It cost £5,000 to replace the windows with extra glazing.
“I was told there was no compensation available for residents in Harpenden.”
Philippa added life in Harpenden is disrupted by aircraft noise “out gardening and dog walking”.
She said: “I am upset at having the number of planes doubled, which is presumably the point of almost doubling passenger numbers.”
A campaigner called John, who also lives in Harpenden, said the proposal is “self-serving and damn right selfish”.
He said: “It’s hard to see any benefits other than those to Luton.”
John warned the B653, which connects the Luton Airport Parkway area with Harpenden, Wheathampstead and Welwyn Garden City, could become a rat run from towns in eastern Hertfordshire, such as Hoddesdon, and as far away as Colchester in Essex.
“The B653 is but a country road,” he added.
Harpenden Sky demands environment explanations
Harpenden Sky spokesperson Neil MacArthur shared his opposition with the panel.
He questioned whether the expansion aligns with the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, which demands particulate matter (PM2.5) is at least 22 per cent less than it was in 2018 by January 2028.
PM2.5 are small particles that have been linked with heart disease, asthma and hazy air.
“The Climate Change Committee (CCC) report to Parliament published in June 2023 sets out expansion should be parked until a UK-wide capacity management framework is in place to control CO2 emissions,” Mr MacArthur added.
The CCC report demands a “framework to manage airport capacity” across the country.
“There has been continued airport expansion in recent years, counter to our assessment there should be no net airport expansions across the UK,” it reads.
“No airport expansions should proceed until a UK-wide capacity management framework is in place to assess annually and, if required, control sector CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects.”
The CCC, made up of six experts, said the Department for Transport (DfT) should lead this management strategy, and that it should be up and running by the end of 2024.
“After a framework is developed, there should be no net airport expansion unless the carbon-intensity of aviation is outperforming the Government’s emissions reduction pathway and can accommodate the additional demand,” it notes.
“For many in the UK, 2022 was the year that climate change arrived, with the UK’s first ever 40C day.
“It was the UK’s warmest recorded year and one of the six warmest years on record globally.
“The record-breaking temperatures seen in the UK in summer 2022 brought unprecedented numbers of heat-related deaths, wildfire incidents and significant infrastructure disruption.
“Human activities are causing our climate to change. Only decisive action will slow further changes.”
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Andrew Lambourne, who lives in Dacorum and chairs Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN), told the Local Democracy Reporting Service night flights can cause sleep problems, which in turn can cause strokes and blood pressure problems.
“We have got a motorway above us in the sky,” he said.
“Hertfordshire is overflown significantly by Luton Airport. It’s inevitable that flights come in and go out over Hertfordshire.”
Not everyone is against Luton Airport’s expansion.
Mostaque Koyes, of Community Interest Luton, told the panel Luton Rising has supported numerous charitable causes in the town.
“Luton gets a lot of negative publicity but as a town, we have a lot to look forward to,” he said.
“Have you ever gone unemployed?
“Have you ever gone without a wage packet?
“Airport growth means more jobs in Luton.”
Mr Koyes, whose charity aims to reduce unemployment, promote training, and increase volunteering, added: “Luton’s rising and it’s putting Luton on the map for the right reasons.”
A Luton Rising statement reads: “Growing the airport will act as a catalyst for Luton to become a leading hub for green technology, research and finance.
“It will therefore play a crucial role in delivering a more sustainable, prosperous and healthier future for the people of Luton – a very important example of levelling up.”
Deep dive hearings in September and November
A panel of five planning inspectors, led by Jo Dowling, must weigh up the evidence for and against Luton Airport’s expansion before the secretary of state makes a decision.
Two hearing weeks are in the draft timetable – due between Tuesday, September 26 and Friday, September 29, and between Monday, November 27 and Friday, December 1.
These could feature deep-dives into the 10 focus areas for the examination – among them traffic and transport, noise, changing climates and whether the project is “deliverable”.
Ms Dowling explained the topics which come up at the hearings will be “like a Venn diagram”, so climate fears from extra traffic could feature in both a transport and an environment deep-dive.
She said: “The issue that we have is that a lot of these issues overlap, so it’s difficult at times to unpick them.
“Just because something isn’t specifically stated in the list [of 10 topics], it doesn’t mean it won’t be considered.”
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