Luton Airport expansion plans to be heard

The airport is looking to expand to accommodate more passengers

Plans to expand London Luton Airport's capacity from 18 to 32 million passengers a year will be heard by the Planning Inspectorate.

Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns the airport, said it could generate £1.5bn per year and create thousands of new jobs.

Pete White, from Stop Luton Airport Expansion, said: "It's the worst thing that could ever happen for east Luton."

Luton Rising said capacity needed to grow to keep customers and airlines.

The expansion plans include new terminal capacity, an extension to the current airfield and new airside and landside facilities.

Luton Dart started taking customers in March and connects the airport terminal with Luton Parkway railway station

Mr White, who lives in the Wigmore Park area, close to the airport, said: "It's the worst thing that could ever happen for east Luton, for the whole surrounding area, because noise will increase not only from the aircraft but from the traffic."

He told BBC Three Counties Radio that a large expansion was not the answer.

"Use what you've got, use it sensibly, use it wisely, make it a safe place for jobs, make it an income stream for the town - growing the airport isn't going to do any of those things."

'Airlines make a choice'

A preliminary hearing into proposals from London Luton Airport Limited (LLAL), trading as Luton Rising, to further increase the capacity to 32 million passengers per annum began on Thursday at Venue 360 in Luton.

It will be followed by open hearings in the town on Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Dr Richard Hunt, from the Planning Inspectorate, said: "We absolutely recognise the need for the expansion is one of the principle matters we need to consider.

"It's set out as an overarching principle issue. We've listed what we consider at this stage to be the potential adverse effects on the environment and living conditions, which could weigh against this."

Nick Platts, the managing director of Luton Rising, said the expansion would create more than 10,000 jobs and "make the best use" of the airport.

"We need to grow the capacity of the airport for them [the customers] to stay.

"It we don't grow, airlines make a choice, either to stay at Luton or move to another airport."

He said he "understood" the impact it would have on the community, "we are listening, we have listened and we'll continue to listen".

Nick Platts said it was "tricky" to get the balance right

Andrew Lambourne, a spokesman for local protest group Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise, said: "Before you make Luton airport bigger, make it better."

He said the noise increase would rob people, who live on the flightpath of sleep and would be "bad for their health and wellbeing".

The inspectorate will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, that will advise them to either grant or refuse consent.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]