New controversial London Luton flight path plan released
The Mayor of St Neots, Cllr Stephen Ferguson spoke to ITV News Anglia about his concerns.
People in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire have voiced their concerns over the new pattern of flight paths into London Luton airport.
The final design for the new pattern has been published after months of consultation and will now be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The airport says the change in route is needed to split traffic heading into Stansted Airport in Essex and Luton.
The co-sponsors of the proposal, London Luton Airport and air traffic control provider NATS, said they reviewed the feedback from 2,400 respondents – focusing on the common themes that arose throughout the consultation.
The sponsors have decided to progress to option one, which they say "means minimal changes from today’s flight paths below 5,000ft, and greater dispersion of flights above 5,000ft".
According to the sponsors, the location of the new holding area near the A1-A14 junction has been adjusted and the lowest standard altitude of the hold raised by 1,000ft. The sponsors say this is to reduce potential noise impacts on the residents of St Neots and Huntingdon.
However hundreds of people who responded are St Neots residents who felt that the new plans would cause a lot of disruption to the town.
The Mayor of St Neots, Cllr Stephen Ferguson told ITV News Anglia that he's glad that some of the points raised were taken onboard, but felt that NATs had made their mind up before they had even launched the consultation.
Cllr Ferguson said: "While I’m pleased that NATS have listened to the many St Neots residents who responded to the consultation, increasing the height of the stack seems like a relatively small concession. I also welcome the realignment that means that Huntingdon is now no longer beneath the stack, but this does little for St Neots."
Local campaigners in Potton say the impact on the lives of thousands of people will be considerable.
Richard Landen, from Community Alternatives to Luton's Flight Path said: "Central Beds, Hunts, S Cambs, Herts councils; MPs in Bedford, Cambridge, Buckingham; Parish and Town Councils throughout the region, between them representing nearly one million people, have objected to these unnecessary changes. NATS itself said in 2016 that stacks are obsolete but inexplicably supports this one Luton Airpot is already in breach of its noise cap but as it is part owned by its own regulator- Luton Borough Council- nothing has been done and these plans will make life worse for hundreds of thousands of people for the commercial benefit of the airport's owners."
Lee Boulton, Head of Airspace Development & Future Operations for NATS, said: “We listened carefully from the start of the consultation to the feedback we were getting, and provided more information as we went along, particularly on the hold and why we need it. I sincerely hope that people will see our genuine effort to respond to their concerns and I believe the adjustments we are making will make a real and positive difference.
"In responding to those, other more indirect concerns have also been addressed, as we set out last week in the Feedback Report," he continued.