This is the reply I got from the town hall regarding the new road into the airport.
Can you answer the following questions regarding the East Luton Corridor Improvement Scheme.
1/ What was the outcome of the public enquiry?
2/ Has a start date been pencilled in yet?
3/ Is there still government funding available for the project.
4/ Seeing that it now looks like the M1 widening scheme could well be finished before this project is started will any improvements be made to Junction 10A as part of this project?
5/ Why has this project dragged on for years?
In response to your email please see answers below:-
1) We have not yet heard the result of the Public Inquiry, this is due about August/ September. However, there were only 7 objections left going into the PI (1 statutory + 6 non-statutory), 3 of the non-statutory objectors appeared at the PI and as such the PI was concluded in 3 days.
2) Yes, we anticipate a start date on site in May/June 2006, this is assuming approval of the Orders and Funding is granted.
3) The Department for Transport (DfT) & the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) have indicated that they will fund the scheme from the Community Infrastructure Fund (£5m) & the Growth Area Fund (£17m) for the £22m project. However, we are just in the process of submitting final bids for these funds and expect to get a decision on the full funding approval in the Autumn.
4) The M1 widening scheme Junction 6a-10 is due to commence in January 2006 and due for completion mid 2008. The East Luton Corridor Scheme is due to start in May/June 2006 and complete March 2008, as such the ELC will be complete before the M1 scheme. Due to the scheme conflicts over the proposed improvements to Junction 10a no works to this junction will be carried out as part of the ELC scheme. This will have to be brought forward as a separate project.
5) The scheme first received provisional funding support in December 2002 and it has taken approximately 3 years to develop the scheme to the stage that it is ready to implement on site. It is not unusual for a scheme of this type to take a number of years to get on to site, the ELC has taken time to develop a workable scheme and to secure the necessary planning permissions & statutory orders. We have also encountered problems with funding which has caused difficulties.
Page two of the link is a map of what will happen
http://www.luton.gov.uk/Media%20Libr...nformation.pdf (2 meg pdf file)