avidspotter
You are indeed correct that the government didn't call in the application last year. SEMLEP (
South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) have costed the road at £140m and stated "
Key barrier is the £140m access road cost which means all development options potentially unviable
so if it is going to be built who is going to fund an unviable road and when?
They also said
Funding Sources for the Investment Plan. Delivery of the Luton Airport Enterprise Zone is a shared responsibility between the public and private sectors. The relationship between London Luton Airport Ltd and Luton Borough Council give an interesting take on private/public partnership.
Private as in LLAL, which is 100% owned by the Council. SEMLEP were going to fund part of the cost of the road but withdraw that offer 18 months ago to the dismay of the Council. Now we have Covid.
It might end up being funded by the new 2031 concessionaire but then the government might turn the DCO application down. The next question is will the Council dare submit their DCO this year when there is a climate conference in Glasgow this year hosted by Boris but the longer they leave it the harder it will be to get it passed as climate change is not going away.
Also has the cost of the Dart gone up again as the council accounts states an additional £53.7million for the DART