Luton airport has made adjustments over night flights and aircraft noise following public consultation into plans to expand capacity to handle 18 million passengers a year.
The airport has amended its planning application following concerns raised in the consultation process.
It proposes introducing a new quota and aircraft movement limit for night flights to bring Luton in line with other designated UK airports.
A reduction in noise violation limits, and the introduction of a fining system for aircraft breaching these limits, would be effective from 2014/2015 instead of 2018 as originally planned.
The change follow the airport receiving 1,380 responses to its consultation from local, national and international businesses, local residents, local chambers of commerce, trade unions, airlines, holidaymakers and business passengers.
A total of 884 respondents (65%) said they supported the airport’s development proposals. They were in favour because of the economic benefits to the region, employment generation associated with the proposals, private inward investment and improvements to the airport’s infrastructure.
Of the 380 respondents (28%) who said they opposed the masterplan, the key reasons given were the potential impact of increased noise and additional night flights. 94 respondents (7%) said they were undecided.
The airport’s operating company said it had taken all feedback seriously, and used it to improve and amend its planning application by adding two further mitigation measures to the six noise initiatives it has already proposed.
Managing director Glyn Jones said the airport had “listened to the local community and has put in place a robust plan to deliver a balanced, sustainable development, which offers a number of significant economic and social benefits, including the creation of approximately 5,100 new jobs, increasing value to the local economy, and improving the built environment of the airport”.