Luton Airport expansion: Campaigners hold protest meeting

Campaigners said plans to increase capacity would affect quality of life

More than 100 people went to a public meeting to protest at plans to expand Luton Airport.

The meeting on Monday night was held at Breachwood Green, where it is claimed aeroplanes can be heard taking off and landing.

Campaigners said plans to increase passenger capacity at the airport would create too much traffic and noise and damage quality of life.

The airport said more passengers would boost local business and employment.

It wants to increase passenger numbers from about 9.5m a year to 18m, which it says will create about 5,000 jobs.

Three phases

At the meeting, David Barnard, councillor for North Hertfordshire District Council, said: "If you double up the number of people who are going to be flying out of Luton plus all the commercial vehicles, the employees and so forth - our roads cannot cope with it."

Andrew Lambourne, of Hertfordshire Against Luton Expansion (HALE), said there would be increased traffic and pollution.

"There's going to be traffic chaos with something like 16,000 extra passengers travelling to and from the airport every day.

"[Also] it's not a matter of 'not in my backyard' but 'not in my sky,'

"These aircraft go over our towns and villages of Hertfordshire, the noise, the pollution goes over Hertfordshire.

"I think we're saying enough is enough."

Airport operator, London Luton Airport Operations Limited said the expansion would be carried out in three phases within the existing boundary up until 2028.