(Bloomberg) — The UK government approved a plan to expand London’s Luton Airport, going against a recommendation from the Planning Inspectorate to refuse the application.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander decided the project should go forward based on its benefits to Luton, a town north of London, and the wider UK economy, according to a letter from her department to the airport published on Thursday. That shows the Labour administration won’t be blocked in its pursuit of new infrastructure projects and the economic growth they will generate, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity discussing internal government thinking.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his chancellor, Rachel Reeves, have promised to strip away planning blockages that have delayed and blocked UK infrastructure and housing projects for years, repeating the mantra that Labour will “back the builders, not the blockers.” Bloomberg reported in January that the government would give the go-ahead to expansions at Luton, Gatwick and Heathrow as part of that drive.
The Labour government’s support for airport expansion has sparked criticism from opponents within Labour and environmental groups, who have pointed to the detrimental effects on the climate and air quality of air travel, as well as the noise pollution. When Reeves threw her weight behind a third runway at Heathrow airport in a major speech in January, she prompted internal cabinet disquiet and public opposition from London’s Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
Gatwick secured tentative backing from Alexander in February — again in the face of opposition from the planning body. The transport secretary extended the deadline for a final decision to Oct. 27, giving the airport time to amend its entry. Meanwhile Reeves has urged Heathrow to submit proposals for a “badly needed” third runway.
Luton’s plan involves using the current runway to handle more flights, expanding the existing terminal and building a new one. It’s projected to create 12,000 jobs, contributing an estimated £1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) per year to the local economy, according to Buckinghamshire council. Expansions of London’s City and Stansted airports were both approved last year.
The Planning Inspectorate’s concerns about the Luton expansion included its effects on the “relative tranquility” of the Chilterns due to a doubling of the frequency of flights, and the plight of a so-called “veteran” tree. The Transport Secretary decided those worries were outweighed by the approximately 4,200 extra jobs and boost to Luton Council revenue resulting from giving the go-ahead, a person familiar with her thinking said.
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