Transport secretary Heidi Alexander has announced a three-month extension to the deadline for the decision regarding the development consent order (DCO) for the expansion of London Luton Airport.
The announcement to push back the deadline from 3 January to 3 April was made in a written statement to Parliament on 17 December 2024, which acknowledged the complexities surrounding the application process.
Under the Planning Act 2008, decisions regarding such applications must typically be made within three months of receiving the Examining Authority’s report. However, the Act also allows for extensions to this timeframe, provided that a formal statement is issued to Parliament. In this case, the Examining Authority’s report was received on 10 May 2024, meaning an initial deadline of 10 August, but that was extended to 3 January 2025 due to the General Election.
The new timeline extends the decision deadline to 3 April 2025, a further three-month period. Alexander highlighted that this extension is crucial to afford the newly appointed secretary of state sufficient time to fully assess the intricacies of the application before reaching a conclusion.
“We are committed to ensuring that all considerations are thoroughly evaluated,” stated Alexander in her address. “While the new deadline has been set, we aim to issue a decision as soon as feasible, taking into account all relevant factors.”
The Luton Airport expansion is being promoted by Luton Rising, a local economic development company that is sole owned by Luton Council.
Luton Rising independent chair Paul Kehoe said: “This is now the third delay for a decision and naturally we are disappointed as we are ready to move forward with our plans as quickly as possible and bring in investment to start delivering the benefits. Equally we want to ensure the decision-making is robust so stand ready to provide any additional information that might be requested of us.
“Our application highlights how the long-term sustainable growth of London Luton Airport will bring incredible and transformational economic, employment and positive social impact benefits for Luton and the neighbouring regions.
“With over 11,000 new jobs, it would be the region’s biggest job creation programme in a generation, adding an additional £1.5bn more in the economy each year. Airport expansion is central to our mission to raising the standard of living and tackling deprivation in a town where poverty is too high and is fully deliverable without the need for any Government investment.
“London Luton Airport is already by far the UK’s most socially impactful airport, as we’ve provided over £300M to support important Council front-line services since 1998, together with an additional £180M for vital voluntary, community and charitable organisations. Expansion would add an additional £13M more each year for local community organisations.
“As we’ve demonstrated all along, we will not grow at the expense of the environment and believe our proposals have some of the most far-reaching commitments to the sustainable operation of an airport ever put forward in the UK. Our unique and ground-breaking Green Controlled Growth framework would introduce maximum limits for the airport’s noise, greenhouse gases, air quality and surface access impacts which would be governed by a new independent body with the ability to call a halt to growth if the airport does not keep within the limits.
“We look forward to a decision being made as quickly as possible.”
This decision to extend the deadline comes amidst ongoing discussions surrounding the expansion of the airport, which has been a topic of debate among local communities, environmental groups and stakeholders within the aviation industry. The extension suggests a careful approach to balancing the economic potential of the airport’s expansion against its environmental and social impacts.
It is important to note that the decision to extend the deadline does not influence the final decision on whether to grant development consent, as emphasised by the transport secretary. The department is keen to engage with various stakeholders as it navigates the considerations inherent in the decision-making process.
