The economy may not be expanding, but Labour is determined Britain’s airports will. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has today approved proposals to expand Luton Airport – with plans for a new terminal given a green light. So keen is the Labour minister to push the project, Alexander has overruled the Planning Inspectorate’s advice that she reject the Development Consent Order over environmental concerns. How interesting…
The move will pave the way for the cap on passenger numbers to be raised from 18 million to a whopping 32 million. The existing Terminal 1 is to be expanded while a new Terminal 2 will be constructed alongside taxiways and car parks. More than that, a new direct air-to-rail transport link – the Luton DART – will be built as part of the £2.4 billion project. While local residents flag concerns about noise and environmental pollution, airport chiefs insist the plans will bring in an additional £1.5 billion of economic activity and over 11,000 jobs. Let’s hope they’re right!
The announcement comes as the proposal to build a third runway at Heathrow is still waiting for a final sign-off. The revelation proved a little contentious among the Labour lot, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband unconvincingly insisting in February that the new development would not come at the expense of his precious net zero targets – despite failing to show his support in person for Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ growth plans the week before and even threatening to resign from Gordon Brown’s cabinet over the same proposals in 2009. Talk about throwing your toys out of the pram…
And Gatwick Airport could be in for a treat too, with the Transport Secretary announcing last month she would support the building of a second runway if the proposals were adjusted. If only it hadn’t taken them a whole nine months to get the plans off the ground, eh?
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