Before Luton Rising (LR) can trigger its Development Consent Order Article (44), (DCO) which would signal the start of expansion, it must undertake a calendar year of monitoring of aircraft noise/air quality/greenhouse emissions and surface access traffic. These will then form the Red Line conditions for which Green Controlled Growth is based on.
On a local radio interview in January 2026, The Chief Executive of LR, told the presenter, that LR had started that monitoring process.
One of our Committee was therefore extremely confused to discover the following Application, on the Luton Borough Council planning portal:
This Application, for an Air Quality Monitor on the Eastern end of Eaton Green Road, was not made until February, and has not been passed. So how could monitoring have started in January?
The Application is for a street cabinet, containing a caged monitor on top, to be located close to a bus shelter. But there is, and never has been a bus shelter at that location, so surely that will require some form of Planning Permission as well?
We have mentioned previously how Air Quality Monitors have disappeared from sites on lampposts on Percival Way at the airport for more modern looking monitors to appear at the tops of new lampposts. There was also a significant Air Quality Monitoring site, located on the Eastern airport boundary, in Wigmore Valley Park. But we understand that, at some point, this site has also been decommissioned.
We do not know if these monitors are LR’s, or belong to the Airport Operator, but they do both appear to be unsure just exactly where monitors should be positioned to give true readings.
Let us remember, that LR must inform the Department of Transport and the public, that they have started projects and provide the submissions and declarations, that were stipulated must be provided as the development progresses. All conditions that were laid down by Planning Inquiry to again DCO approval.
Air Quality monitoring, for example requires a full year for base line monitoring, and as this monitoring facility is clearly yet not in use, this requirement is still to be met. As LR is a wholly owned company of Luton Borough Council, we will lodge a Freedom of Information request, asking where monitoring stations are, for all the four monitoring categories mentioned.
We will review any information that we receive and relay any points of contention we find.