It can still be damaging

Although the major threat to the surrounding countryside, the 2-runway Airport, is dead, the beauty of the Airport’s surroundings can still be scarred, as easyJet, helped by the incompetence of Luton Brough Council (LBC), has ably demonstrated: its bright orange hangar (above) on the hilltop can be seen for miles around.

In Autumn 2006, easyJet took over the hangar, repainted it and re-clad the frontage in bright orange. The Council’s planning officers advised them that they needed planning permission for the cladding but that painting was regarded as “permitted development”. A retrospective planning application was submitted and the Breachwood Green Society, a residents’ group from the Parish to the east of the Airport, objected to the visual intrusion into the countryside.

The planning officers advised the Council’s Development Control Committee, meeting in November 2006, to refuse planning permission for the cladding. The Committee, having inspected the building, agreed that the effect of the colour was appalling but concluded that, as the major problem was the mass of colour on the roof which they were told they could do nothing about, they should approve it.

During the Committee’s meeting, easyJet’s representative revealed that the colour was the one used by easyJet for advertising. This changed the position because the “permitted development” rights to paint a building specifically exclude “where the painting is for the purpose of advertisement, announcement or direction”. As the word “easyJet” had appeared in large white letters on the orange roof, it clearly needed planning permission but the planning officers failed to inform the Councillors of this.

The Breachwood Green Society pointed out the error to the Council the day after the Committee meeting but the only action the Council took was to write to easyJet about the lettering on the roof. And, as far as we (and the Breachwood Green Society) are aware, the Council has just let the whole matter go.

Unfortunately, this is typical of the approach of LBC to planning at the Airport which, of course, it owns. LADACAN believes that the Airport’s potential for damage to its surroundings is immense and will strive to ensure that any applications for significant development at the Airport are taken out of LBC’s hands.

Luton & District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise - site updated 03 February, 2010