Law Expert to Advise Luton Airport Protesters

January 12, 2004

Law Expert to Advise Airport Protesters
St. Albans Observer, UK

AN expert in aviation law has been enlisted to help
protesters fight the expansion of Luton Airport.

The Luton and District Association for the Control of
Aircraft Noise (Ladacan) has consulted environment law
expert Richard Buxton in its bid to stop the airport
growing.

The group is furious over the Government's decision to
allow the airport to have a longer runway.

The runway extension, by up to one kilometre, will
enable jumbo jets to use the airport. This will allow
it to handle 30 million passengers a year by 2030,
five times the current number.

Ladacan says the noise and pollution from bigger
aeroplanes will be disastrous for Harpenden and its
surrounding villages. The group has asked
Cambridge-based Mr Buxton to evaluate its argument and
attend its public meeting on Wednesday, January 14.

The law firm is no stranger to cases involving
aircraft noise. It once successfully represented a
consortium of London local authorities against the
Government to reduce night flights at Heathrow.

Ladacan spokesman for Harpenden John Davies said: "We
feel there were issues that were not taken into
account by the Government before it released a White
Paper outlining the expansion.

"One of the issues is the fact that if the runway is
extended, jumbo jets will be taking off and landing at
Luton. These make a lot more noise and take much more
time to climb than the 737s that currently fly from
there.

"We hope Mr Buxton is going to say we have a case
which could undermine the White Paper, at which point
we will launch our case."

Protesters are angry that the Government's
consultation on proposals for the airport's expansion
featured a smaller extension to Luton's runway. A
legal battle would have to be funded by donations from
people and businesses opposed to the scheme.

Harpenden MP Peter Lilley said: "I am pleased that
Ladacan has arranged for Mr Buxton to brief the
meeting on the most effective means of fighting this
appalling decision. I shall be liaising with Ladacan,
the Limit Luton Alliance and local councillors to work
out the best way to prevent excessive development at
Luton Airport, including the possibility of a legal
challenge."

The public meeting is at 8pm at Breachwood Green Hall,
Oxford Road, Breachwood Green.


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