Bircham Dyson Bell advises on London Luton Airport’s expansion

Bircham Dyson Bell (BDB) is advising London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL) on the expansion of its asset, as outlined in the airport’s Vision for Sustainable Growth 2020-2050, announced today, which proposes an increase in the capacity of the airport from the current 18 million passengers per annum (mppa) to 36-38mppa.

BDB’s Government and Infrastructure Department, the largest specialist team in the UK, is advising on the planning process to obtain consent for the expansion of London Luton Airport and related commercial activity. This is expected to involve an application for a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008.

BDB was instructed following a competitive tender process, which commenced in 2016, followed by an interview in January 2017 and were subsequently appointed in February 2017. It is a five year commission, with scope to extend beyond that term.

The BDB Team advising LLAL is led by Tom Henderson, partner, and supported by Angus Walker, head of the Government and Infrastructure Department; together with a core team of six lawyers. The firm’s Real Estate Projects team was also involved in the bid.

Angus Walker comments:

‘This is an exciting development for the firm to be involved in as London Luton Airport looks to deliver a doubling of capacity to meet the UK’s demand for air travel. The project draws on our extensive expertise of working on planning applications for nationally significant projects, supported by the breadth of expertise available across the firm.’