“We strongly object to their expansion plans and are determined to preserve our right to say so out loud,”
– Liberal Democrat leader Cllr. David Franks.

With their increased strength in Luton Council chamber after the recent elections, Liberal Democrat councillors have been allocated two places on the board of the Council owned company London Luton Airport Limited. But Liberal Democrat leader Cllr. David Franks told the Annual meeting of the Council on Tuesday they would not be taking up their places.

The two Liberal Democrat former directors on the board of the airport company resigned in January saying they have been told they are not allowed to publicly criticise decisions of the board with which they disagree.

“We strongly object to their expansion plans and are determined to preserve our right to say so out loud,” says Liberal Democrat leader Cllr. David Franks.

“14 Luton schools are either close to the airport or sit under the flightpaths and they plan to have only one air quality monitoring site. That’s a woefully inadequate response. They say the equipment is expensive, we ask what price they put on children’s lungs?”

“Their plans will cover most of Wigmore Valley Park in concrete and make Ashcroft Road & Wigmore Lane major access routes to the airport, we cannot allow ourselves to be associated with this destruction of neighbouring residents’ quality of life.”

“These plans have Labour and Conservative finger-prints all over them, let no-one be in any doubt, we have never supported them and cannot stay silent now.”