LETTER OF THE WEEK: Plans for holding stack over Huntingdon are a violation

I refer to Alexandra Collett’s article on Luton Airport’s ‘holding stack’ over Huntingdon. I have accessed the consultation website and was astonished to find that whilst Luton’s proposal appears to have four options- two for each of runways 07 and 25 at Luton, there is

no option to reject all four for the only holding stack referred to, which is over Huntingdon.

All the questions in the consultation for the public to answer are technical in relation to aircraft movements in the one and only holding stack area, chosen by NATS and Luton Airport.

They are claiming to have been working hard with local community representatives over the last 18 months to help develop the final proposals in this ‘consultation’.

The Huntingdon holding stack area is due north of one current area and north west of the other current area. It seems totally wrong for only one new area for Luton to be chosen, giving no alternative location option and totally wrong for that one new area not to be closer to Luton, and not to be over Hertfordshire, but arbitrarily plonked over Cambridgeshire. All Luton bound aircraft arriving from the east and stacked will follow a path immediately above eastern Huntingdonshire and over St Ives.

I would like to know which, if any, community representatives from Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire have been consulted, and if so

what were their comments. I would urge all residents of Huntingdonshire to oppose this holding stack proposal which is being imposed by Luton Airport, as an undemocratic violation of our environmental rights.

Alan Fitzgerald

Laxton Grange

Bluntisham