London Luton Airport's growth plan has been given judicial approval following the Supreme Court's dismissal of a legal challenge. The Luton and District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN) had argued the decision was unlawful due to inadequate assessments of greenhouse gas emissions.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander officially granted the expansion last April, despite advice from the planning inspectorate to reject the application on environmental grounds. The plan aims to increase annual passenger capacity from 19 million to 32 million through the construction of a new terminal.
The legal battle concluded on Tuesday when the Supreme Court refused to hear LADACAN's case, following earlier rejections by the High Court and the Court of Appeal. The airport's owner, Luton Rising, stated the expansion is expected to generate £1.5 billion in additional economic activity and create 4,200 new jobs, with completion anticipated by the mid-2040s.
Luton Rising has also committed to investing £1 for every passenger exceeding the current 19 million limit into a new community fund, which will support decarbonisation projects and initiatives addressing poverty.