Luton Airport expansion go ahead
10th October 2012. Herts County Council response to the
Revised Master Plan
Anne Main MP urges Secretary of State to “call in” Luton Airport expansion plans
17th Jan.2013 Harpenden Town Mayor responds to Luton Airport MD Glyn Jones
‘CALL IN’ CONSIDERATION with Nick Bowles MP -Under Secrtary of State (Planning)
HarpendenSky.com believes a new less confrontational strategy is required to satisfy both Luton airport expansion plans and Harpenden resident opposition to Luton airtraffic. For example, if the airtraffic impact on Harpenden residents could be alleviated then the airport expansion is much less of an issue. This is a strategy that HarpendenSky.com has been discussing with Luton who have responded positively and we will provide updates.
No Harpenden Resistance
Many of these issues would have been resolved through implementation of the National Air Traffic Services [NATS] Terminal Control North [TCN] Consultation project www.consultation.nats.co.uk in 2008 that included the need to reroute air traffic away from populated areas like Harpenden.
However, NATS TCN proposed changes to Luton flightpaths were scuppered by protest from outlying regions and also because there was nobody putting the case sufficiently forcibly for Harpenden. So this becomes the role for the HarpendenSky Campaign For Air Traffic Reduction in alleviating the impact of air traffic on the daily lives of the 30,000+ residents of Harpenden residents, their families and visitors.
For more info on this approach: http://www.harpendensky.com
November 2012: New Strategy On Luton Airport Expansion
TO READ THE WHOLE OF THE ABOVE DOCUMENT SIMPLY CLICK ON THE ABOVE PAGE
Abertis agees to sell Luton Airport to consortium headed by Aena.
Barcelona, 31 July 2013 - TBI, a company owned by abertis (90%) and Aena Internacional (10%), has agreed to sell the company holding the concession for London Luton Airport to a consortium formed by Aena (51%) and AXA Private Equity (49%). The enterprise value of the transaction is £433Mn (€502Mn).
This asset would have contributed an estimated €141Mn to abertis' revenue and €46Mn to EBITDA at group level in 2013, which represents a 2013 Enterprise Value/EBITDA ratio of 11x.
The transaction, which is subject to authorization by the competition authorities, the contracting authority (Luton Borough Council) and the Spanish Board of Ministers, forms part of abertis' strategy to continually revise its portfolio in order to optimise the company's asset base. AZ Capital and Citi advised abertis on the sale process.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Clifford Chance (CC) and Allen & Overy (A&O) have all advised on the £394m takeover of Luton Airport.
Oct 14th. 2013. Luton Airport to progress a Planning Application for expansion.
HARPENDEN TOWN COUNCIL REPRESENTATION TO LUTON BOROUGH COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT CONTROL COMMITTEE Dec 20th. 2013
CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOUR COMMITTEE THIS AFTERNOON.
WHILE REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF HARPENDEN TOWN COUNCIL, I SHOULD ALSO DECLARE THAT I AM A MEMBER OF HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL AND ONE OF ITS REPRESENTATIVES ON THE LONDON LUTON AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE.
WE OBJECT TO THE APPLICATION AS IT STANDS AND REQUEST THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE CALLS IT IN. THE CONDITIONS AND S106 AGREEMENT AS SET OUT IN THE REPORT ARE NOT IN THE OPINION OF HARPENDEN TOWN COUNCIL SUFFICIENTLY ROBUST TO SAFEGUARD THE AMENITY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
IN ITS SUBMISSION TO YOU, WE SET OUT 5 PRINCIPAL ISSUES:
1.ESTABLISHING IN PLANNING TERMS, THE CAPACITY OF THE AIRPORT;
2.THAT GROWTH IN PASSENGER NUMBERS SHOULD BE CONDITIONAL ON UNEQUIVOCALLY MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF PLANNING POLICY LLA1 AND TRANSPORT MODAL SHIFT;
3.THAT LUTON AS AN “UNDESIGNATED” AIRPORT SHOULD NOT BECOME THE LOW COST AIRLINES LONDON NIGHT FLIGHT AIRPORT OF CHOICE;
4.THE APPLICATION OF MEANINGFUL, PROGRESSIVE VIOLATION LIMITS; AND
5.FINALLY, THE SCALE OF THE OPERATOR’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY TRUST
THE 18MPPA THROUGHPUT LIMIT, WHILE HIGHER THAN MANY WISH TO SEE, DOES PROVIDE CERTAINTY.
IMPORTANTLY, THIS ABSOLUTE LIMIT MUST BE BALANCED BY ARRANGEMENTS TO MAKE GROWTH CONDITIONAL ON ACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF NOISE AND SPECIFICALLY NOISE CONTOURS. CONDITION 12 SETS OUT THESE ARRANGEMENTS.
THE INTERPRETATION OF LLA1 BY THE APPLICANT BASED ON THE 1997 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT NOISE CONTOURS WAS CONTROVERSIAL. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT MEMBERS SATISFY YOURSELVES THAT THE INTERPRETATION AND MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES ARE ROBUST ENOUGH TO MANAGE THIS VITAL CONTROL SUCH THAT THE RESULTING AIRCRAFT NOISE IMPACT IS BELOW THE 1999 LEVEL AND ACCORDS WITH YOUR POLICY LLA1.
TODAY IS THE 20TH DECEMBER 2013 AND THE 2012 ANNUAL MONITORING REVIEW HAS STILL NOT BEEN PUBLISHED. ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT YOUR COUNCIL WILL HAVE THE ARRANGEMENTS TO MANAGE THE GROWTH OF THE AIRPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH YOUR POLICY? WILL YOU HAVE THE MECHANISM TO DEMONSTRATE TO RESIDENTS THAT GROWTH ACCORDS WITH LLA1?
THE TOWN COUNCIL ALSO SOUGHT THAT GROWTH BE CONDITIONAL ON ACHIEVING TRANSPORT MODAL SWITCH OBJECTIVES AWAY FROM PRIVATE CARS FOR PASSENGER JOURNEYS TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT. THERE NEEDS TO BE THE RIGHT INCENTIVES FOR THE OPERATOR TO WORK WITH BUS COMPANIES AND RAIL FRANCHISEES TO MITIGATE CONGESTION ON LOCAL ROADS.
HOWEVER, AND CRITICALLY, THIS APPLICATION IS BEING DETERMINED WITHOUT A PASSENGER TRAVEL PLAN AND THE TOWN COUNCIL CONSIDERS THIS JUSTIFICATION FOR THE APPLICATION BEING CALLED IN BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
TURNING TO NIGHT FLIGHTS, CONDITION 11 SETS OUT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A NOISE CONTROL SCHEME. THE TOWN COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE ADOPTION OF THE QUOTA COUNT METHODOLOGY, THE MOVE TO ESTABLISH A QC 1 LIMIT AND THE LIMIT ON EARLY MORNING MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE 6AM TO 7AM SHOULDER PERIOD.
HOWEVER, THE TOWN COUNCIL CONSIDERS 1AM DEPARTURES TO ROMANIA AND 2.20AM ARRIVALS FROM IBIZA UNACCEPTABLE. WE ARE SURE YOUR RESIDENTS SHARE THE VIEW OF OUR RESIDENTS THAT SUCH FLIGHTS ARE UNNECESSARY AND ANY EXPANSION OF SUCH FLIGHTS IS COMPLETELY UNWARRANTED.
BETWEEN JULY AND SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, BLUE AIR NIGHT FLIGHTS TO BACAU IN ROMANIA WERE A SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF THE NIGHT FLIGHT COMPLAINTS FROM LOCAL RESIDENTS. ITS 737-400 AIRCRAFT ARE CATEGORIZED QC 1 ON DEPARTURE.
EITHER AN UNDERTAKING IS REQUIRED FROM THE AIRPORT OPERATOR NOT TO ESTABLISH SCHEDULED OR CHARTER SERVICES DURING THE 11.30PM TO 6AM NIGHT QUOTA PERIOD OR THAT THE ANNUAL NIGHT MOVEMENTS LIMIT AND TOTAL ANNUAL NOISE QUOTA NEEDS TO BEAR DOWN ON SUCH SERVICES.
THE TOWN COUNCIL STANDS BY ITS REPRESENTATION THAT:
•THE TOTAL MOVEMENTS BY AIRCRAFT PER CALENDAR YEAR BE LIMITED TO 6,500 (AND NOT THE 9,650 SUGGESTED IN CONDITION 11)
•THE TOTAL ANNUAL NOISE QUOTA COUNT BE LIMITED TO 2900 UPON ADOPTION OF THE NOISE CONTROL SCHEME (RATHER THAN THE LIMIT OF 3,500 PROPOSED)
•IN LINE WITH THE DFT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DESIGNATED AIRPORTS, THE EXCESS FLEXIBILITY SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 5%
SUCH LIMITS WOULD ACCOMMODATE THE AIRPORT’S GENERAL AVIATION BUSINESS.
CONDITION 11 ALSO SETS OUT THE PROPOSED NOISE VIOLATION LIMITS. OF 11,620 DAYTIME AND 463 NIGHT TIME DEPARTURES OVER THE 3RD QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, THERE WAS ONLY 1 NOISE VIOLATION. OVER THIS SAME PERIOD, 738 EVENTS RELATING TO LLA AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS WERE COMPLAINED ABOUT.
IT IS CONSIDERED INAPPROPRIATE THAT NOISIER (QC4) AIRCRAFT SHOULD HAVE MORE LEAWAY. THE AIRPORT SHOULD BE MOVING TO AN 82DB DAYTIME LEVEL AND 77DB NIGHT TIME LEVEL WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE SURE THAT MEMBERS WOULD SUPPORT SUCH LIMITS TO DETER NOISIER AIRCRAFT TYPES FROM USING THE AIRPORT AND DRIVING FLIGHT PROCEDURE IMPROVEMENTS AND BEST PRACTICE.
THE DRAFT SECTION 106 AGREEMENT SETS OUT THE REQUIREMENT FOR AN ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION OF £50,000 TO THE COMMUNITY FUND.
WE APPRECIATE OF THE GRANT OF £1900 MADE TOWARDS ESTABLISHING A CHILDREN’S PLAY AREA AT PORTER’S HILL IN HARPENDEN IN 2010. HOWEVER, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES OF CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE, NORTH HERTS, STEVENAGE, ST ALBANS DISTRICT, DACORUM AND LUTON BOROUGH ITSELF THAT LIVE WITH THE NOISE AND CONGESTION GENERATED BY THE AIRPORT, A LARGER SUM IS SOUGHT FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS.
WE WOULD ASK MEMBERS THAT YOU ENSURE THAT THE ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION FROM THE OPERATOR TO THE COMMUNITY FUND IS INCREASED FROM £50,000 TO £350,000 TO PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL FUND FOR THE LOCAL AREA.
IN CONCLUSION, MEMBERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE IMPACT OF THE AIRPORT ON LOCAL RESIDENTS AND HARPENDEN TOWN COUNCIL WOULD URGE YOU TO TAKE IT.
Opposition Groups shocked by decision.
There is coverage in the Herts Ad here.
Positive views from local MP.
Gavin Shuker, MP for Luton South, welcomed the news, branding it “a great day for the town, and a much needed boost for our local economy”.
Going Forward.
Lengthy discussions will now take place between the authority and the airport to agree details of the changes, while The Department for Communities and Local Government will now consider whether the application should be ‘called in’ and determined by the Secretary of State.
Once agreed, it is expected that construction works will take place over three phases to expand, modernise and remodel the terminal building to accommodate up to 20 security passenger screening lanes, increased retail, catering and seating areas as well as a newly configured road system in front of the Central Terminal Area.
In addition a new parallel taxiway and a new multi-storey car park will be built.
Peter Lilley has urged the Secretary of State to call in the decision on expansion of Luton Airport following Luton Council’s approval of the operator’s expansion plans. He condemned Luton Council’s decision to sneak in the planning hearing just before Christmas. Peter said it is in everyone’s interest – including the Airport itself – that the decision be seen to be made even-handedly.
Peter Lilley added: “It would be wrong and ineffective to oppose all expansion at Luton. But it is essential to make sure that any growth in throughput is made tolerable for those living near the airport and under the flight paths. The key tests must be to ensure that the noise from extra flights will be offset by quieter planes or better routing and that local infrastructure can cope with the extra traffic. But those tests must be, and be seen to be, applied fairly and objectively which is not possible as long as Luton Council is itself a direct financial beneficiary of extra flights.”
“There are already concerns that concessions originally proposed by the operator have not been enshrined in the planning approval granted by Luton Council on the Friday before Christmas.”
“So I have again written to the Secretary of State urging him to call in the planning application to ensure it receives proper consideration which is seen to be objective.”
Peter Lilley MP calls for Airport planning decision to be called in by the Secretary of State.
Above photo courtesy of Rod Wynne-Powell
