The planning guidelines are trying to reduce car dependency
This is just so much Government bull****! If we all stopped driving cars, Brown's budget would have an even bigger hole in it (reduced income from lower fuel sales, VAT, road fund licences, etc) and the local councils would be equally strapped for cash (reduced income from car parking charges, parking permits, etc).
As regards Luton, easyJet has apparently been given notice that its staff car park will have to be given up, presumably because of the plans to build six stands to the south of the existing East Apron area. It's probable that there will be left a small area for 'executive' parking and for hire cars. However, the focus of car parking is eventually planned to move to the south side of the 'bridge' - but heaven knows where! LLAO's ultimate aim is to have only disabled persons' private cars driving up to the terminals, and to have either a 'people mover' or coaches transporting passengers to/from the terminal(s) from/to remote car parks.
The Thameslink 2000 Project envisioned direct trains linking Guildford with Cambridge via St Pancras Thameslink and Hitchin (ultimately, being extended to Kings Lynn) interchanging with the current Thameslink Bedford/Brighton service at the new St Pancras Thameslink station. This may still happen after 2007 but will require some further work south of Snow Hill tunnel to add track capacity.
LLAO's Project 2030 did at one stage envisage a rail link from the Midland Main Line north of Harpenden via the new South Terminal (associated with a new runway) to the East Cost Main Line south of Hitchin.
If the Government really does want to reduce car dependancy, it ought to put its money where John Prescott's mouth is, and look at part-funding this sort of development.
Pigs of course, might fly!
