en.Wedoany.com Reported - Luton Rising has completed the legal processes required for its long-term sustainable growth plan, which aims to increase the annual passenger capacity of London Luton Airport from 19 million to 32 million by the mid-2040s. The plan is expected to create up to 11,000 new jobs and generate an additional up to £1.5 billion in economic activity each year. Luton Rising thus becomes the first council-owned company in the UK to secure a Development Consent Order in April 2025.

All growth is demand-led and delivered through Luton Rising's "Green Controlled Growth" framework. This framework imposes limits on noise, carbon emissions, air quality, and surface access, with requirements that go beyond target-based management approaches, aiming to provide certainty and full transparency for local communities.

Since 1998, Luton Rising has invested over £500 million in local frontline and community services. The current growth plan will build on this, delivering a "significant" additional community dividend through the "Community First Fund".

The fund is designed to create a direct link between passenger growth and community investment: for every additional passenger beyond the current annual throughput of 19 million, an extra £1 will be invested, on top of existing community funding programs.

By the mid-2040s, the fund is expected to provide up to an additional £13 million per year, with a guaranteed 40% (up to £5.2 million annually) allocated to neighboring communities outside Luton that are close to the airport.

Priorities for the fund's first five years will focus on decarbonization projects and initiatives to tackle poverty.

Councillor Tahmina Saleem, Leader of Luton Council, said: "London Luton Airport sits at the heart of our town. I have seen firsthand what Luton Rising's community investment funding means to local families—lifting children out of poverty, creating more job opportunities, and giving young people the confidence to believe they can go further in their ambitions. As the airport grows, so does the ability to transform local lives, which is why we are determined to make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity."