The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) has urged the Government to mitigate against the impact on the environment and public health that airport expansions will cause, after London Luton Airport had its proposed extension approved by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

The project, which was given approval by the Transport Secretary despite advice from the Planning Inspectorate that she should turn it down over environmental concerns, will raise the airport’s annual passenger cap from 18 million to 32 million by the mid-2040s, allowing 77,000 more flights to take off there per year.

This follows the Government giving its backing to a third runway at London Heathrow Airport earlier this year, while London Gatwick is also proposing to expand to include a redeveloped second runway to create thousands more flights a year.

While understanding the economic benefits airport expansion may potentially bring to the UK, CIEH says that the considerable environmental and health impacts identified during the decision-making process must not be forgotten.

Residents in London and the South East already suffer from noise and air pollution, despite some recent improvements from schemes such as the ULEZ initiative. With several airports now planning to expand, CIEH is calling for a joined-up approach to mitigating against pollution and environmental degradation.

CIEH notes that the announcement of the expansion comes just a day after an independent review commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) spoke about the difficulty in balancing nature recovery and economic growth.

Joan Walley, Honorary Vice President of CIEH said:

“As the expansion of London Luton Airport receives approval, and schemes at Heathrow and Gatwick continue to move forward, it is imperative that we do not overlook the inevitable increase in emissions and noise pollution, as well as the impact on public health of expansion.

“The cumulative impact of the proposed expansion of three major airports in the London and South East is particularly concerning and we will be looking closely at what safeguards will be put in place to mitigate against the environmental and health impacts.

“While we agree that economic growth should be a priority it must be sustainable, and we don’t accept that growth should be to the detriment of the health and wellbeing of the citizens of London and the South East who already suffer from noise pollution and poor air quality.

“Our members will be involved at the community level in dealing with the implications of these decisions and we hope to work with the relevant parties to ensure the promises outlined in the Secretary of State’s decision on London Luton Airport, in terms of mitigating against the impacts of the environmental and public health, are kept.”