Responding to reports that the Secretary of State for Transport has today (3 April) approved the expansion of Luton Airport, from 18 million to 32 million passengers per year, despite advice from the Planning Inspectorate to refuse the expansion. Daisy Cooper, MP for St Albans, said:
“Today’s decision is a travesty and sets a terrible precedent that the government is willing to overrule the Planning Inspector who raised environmental concerns.
“This expansion will barely deliver any economic growth, and will instead bring massive climate damage. It flies in the face of advice from economists and climate experts, and the Planning Inspector, and will cause further misery for St Albans residents living under flight paths.
“The government’s own climate advisors made clear that airport expansions should not proceed until the government puts a framework in place to control carbon and other emissions; and economists have warned that such expansions could wipe out the carbon savings of the government’s own clean power plans.
“However, their recent endorsement of Heathrow airport expansion made clear that they are intent on going ahead regardless. And sadly, today’s approval of expansion at Luton airport has shown their repeated disregard for these warnings from experts.
“The groundwork for this expansion was first laid by the Conservatives, and it’s desperately disappointing to see that Labour are now repeating their mistakes.
“By contrast, we Liberal Democrats have led the fight against the expansion of Luton airport in Parliament and across Hertfordshire – holding Ministers to account in the previous Conservative government and now this Labour one, and speaking up for residents through the Inquiry.
“I know that the vast majority of St Albans residents will share my deep disappointment that the government seems to have lost the courage of its convictions, and is so far failing to deliver the urgent change people want to see by focussing on sustainable development and tackling the climate crisis.”