The British government have approved plans to expand the capacity of Luton Airport.
Following a review by the government’s Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, the government approved plans to expand Luton Airport’s capacity from 18 million passengers per annum (mppa) up to 32 million mppa, despite planning inspectors previously recommending the rejection of the scheme on environmental grounds.
Work that will feature as part of the scheme would include new terminal capacity, additional taxiways and other transport infrastructure, the construction of landside support buildings, surface access adjustments, mitigation works and other associated development.
Plans to expand Luton Airport had been submitted in February 2023 during the previous Conservative government’s tenure, but a final decision on whether to approve expansion was deferred four times in total by both the Conservative government and the Labour government that took charge of the UK in July 2024.
A spokesperson speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister told BBC News that they were happy with the decision to expand the airport.
The spokesperson said, “Improving our national infrastructure is critical to achieving growth and delivering jobs across the country, and this decision will help us deliver growth as part of our plan for change.
“This step underlines the government’s commitment to unlocking vital infrastructure and backing growth.”
Approval comes at at time when the British government have been discussing plans to expand airport capacity around London, with reports earlier this year that the government were also planning to expand Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Luton is the UK’s fifth largest airport, trailing only Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted with nearly 17 million passengers travelling through in 2024.
Paul Kehoe CBE, Independent Chair of Luton Rising, the Luton Council company that owns London Luton Airport, praised the decision in a statement.
Kehoe said, “We welcome the announcement from the Secretary of State for Transport that our application for the long-term sustainable growth of our airport has been approved. Today’s decision enables us to continue detailed planning for the next chapter in the success story of London Luton Airport.
“The benefits are clear. At a new capacity of 32 million passengers per year, our scheme will deliver up to 11,000 new jobs, additional annual economic activity of up to £1.5bn, and up to an additional £13m every year for communities and good causes.
“We will review the details of the Order and look forward to working with our partners to realise the significant economic, employment and social benefits for our town, the region and across the UK, as we contribute towards the Government’s vision for national growth.”
Alberto Martin, Chief Executive Officer, London Luton Airport, added, “We welcome today’s approval from Government, which now provides Luton with a generational opportunity to transform the town and our region’s economy. Once complete, these plans will generate an additional £1.5 billion for the economy every year and create up to 11,000 jobs.
“Our priority now is to finalise a commercial agreement with Luton Council to renew our successful partnership so together we can deliver on the Government’s growth policy, and make the expansion plans a reality as soon as possible. This will put Luton at the heart of a collective mission to achieve sustainable economic growth.”
It is as yet unclear when construction may begin on the airport site.
The centre:mk have announced their Spring Summer Fashion Weekend event for this weekend.
The free event at the shopping centre in Milton Keynes will feature catwalk shows, style talks, beauty demos, pop-ups and special offers featuring some of the centre’s biggest brands such as John Lewis & Partners, H Beauty, Mint Velvet, M&S, Next, River Island, Mango, Reiss and Jigsaw.
Featuring over 35 retailers, Middleton Hall will play host to a fashion and beauty hub across two spectacular days, with catwalk shows every hour, on the hour, starting at 11am each day. Models and dancers will showcase the latest looks from centre:mk’s retailers so shoppers can see the latest collections, hand-picked, along with accessories, by a professional stylist – all the inspiration you could need for your spring wardrobe.
Between catwalk shows, shoppers can enjoy styling advice from TV’s Annaleise Dayes, sharing this season’s top trends as well as how to dress to make the most of your body shape. Talks and demos will take place on the beauty stage from the top make-up artists at Dior, Givenchy and Hourglass, plus many more.
Surrounding the catwalk will be a wide range of pop-up stores offering free mini-makeovers, free samples, style advice and special discounts on the range of looks available this spring.
Across two stages in Middleton Hall will be fashion shows by retailers, beauty shows by a variety of make-up brands and 15 pop-up shops, with shows taking place between 11am and 5pm.
A full schedule is available on social media or on the centre:mk website.
MK Dons continued their rough patch as they were beaten 3-0 by promotion chasing Notts County at Meadow Lane.
Second half goals by David McGoldrick, Nick Tsaroulla and Will Jarvis won the day for the hosts, for whom victory saw them climb to 4th place and get just two points off the automatic promotion spots in a close contest for the top 3.
The Dons continued their drift to the end of the season, meanwhile. The Dons have only won 4 League Two games in 2025, with their latest reverse leaving them 18th in the table. They are ten points above the relegation zone and 16 points off the play-offs with six games of the season remaining.
After a chastening afternoon where they conceded four at home to Fleetwood at the weekend, the Dons’ faithful had been hoping for a response from a midweek trip to Nottingham, which had been pushed back by 24 hours to avoid a clash with Nottingham Forest’s contest against Manchester United.
Former County duo Aaron Nemane and Dan Crowley made the Dons’ starting line-up, against a County side who gave a recall to ex-Dons man Conor Grant.
A first half of minimal chances saw McGoldrick head straight at Connal Trueman, Connor Lemonheigh-Evans place a strike wide at the other end, and County’s Charlie Whitaker head wide in the final moments of the opening half.
Within two minutes of the restart, Notts County seized the lead. George Abbott played a pass through to veteran striker McGoldrick, who set up space for a strike before firing a fine strike into the top corner.
Notts County made it 2-0 seven minutes later. Jarvis’ cross was only half-cleared but seemed to have fallen for Joe Tomlinson to clear. The more alert Tsaroulla, however, stole the ball off the Dons’ wing-back before beating Trueman.
The hosts would later grab a third. In the 74th minute, Grant’s pass released Jarvis, who cut inside and fired in a strike from outside the box.
Aside from one wayward Luke Offord shot in between the second and third goals, the Dons offered little signs they would manage a comeback and suffered another defeat as their season continues to peter out.
Ben Gladwin’s side are next in action on Saturday, when they welcome fellow bottom half side Barrow to Stadium MK.
Milton Keynes Theatre have announced they will be hosting live shows based on the acclaimed BBC comedy show Inside No 9.
Starring, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the critically acclaimed stage show Inside No.9 Stage / Fright will visit theatres around the UK this autumn, with the tour opening in Milton Keynes Theatre on Tue 9 Sep.
Pemberton and Shearsmith will once again star in a stage show described by the Sunday Times as “Dazzlingly Entertaining” (The Sunday Times), as “absurdly entertaining by the Mail on Sunday and “wildly clever” by the Financial Times.
Nominated for an Olivier Award this year in the Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play category, Stage / Fright features comedic, spooky and dramatic moments as fans of the TV show have come to expect, with some familiar characters and stories mixing with brand new material. Further casting will be announced soon.
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith said, “We have been bowled over by the success of Inside No 9 Stage / Fright at the Wyndham’s Theatre. Selling out every performance before the run started and being nominated for an Olivier Award was fantastic enough, but the nightly reaction from fans and newcomers alike has been exhilarating and really quite moving.
“So we are delighted to be able to bring the show to a wider audience around the country. The phrase ‘swan-song’ refers to a final performance, often associated with the ancient belief that swans sing beautifully just before their death. Which is a load of bollocks of course as all swans do is shit and honk. So come along to the swan-song tour of Inside No 9 and see for yourselves how we bow out. There won’t be a dry seat in the house.”
Each performance will see a different celebrity ‘hostage’ perform with Steve and Reece. The West End run included cameos from Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Mel Giedroyc, Matt Lucas, Michael Sheen, Tamsin Greig, Adrian Dunbar, Bob Mortimer, David Walliams, Micky Flanagan, Meera Syal, Mackenzie Crook, Emilia Fox and Rob Brydon, as well as many others, with attendees asked to wait and see of potential stars coming to Milton Keynes.
Kicking off in Milton Keynes on 9 September, Inside No. 9 Stage / Fright visits 11 theatres across the UK including Sunderland, Canterbury, Birmingham, Manchester, Woking, Hull, Oxford, Stoke and Liverpool, before culminating in Edinburgh on 29 November.
The ninth, and final, season of the critically acclaimed TV series was screened last year and is now available on BBC iPlayer.
Inside No.9 Stage / Fright is presented by Phil McIntyre Live and IN9 Theatre Company.
Thames Valley Police have issued an update after a man died following a police shooting outside Milton Keynes Central railway station yesterday (01/04).
The incident saw a man shot after police were called to deal with a man that was potentially carrying a firearm outside the station just before 1pm. It has since been confirmed the man was brandishing a knife.
Following the shooting, attempts were made to revive the man but he was pronounced dead on the scene at 1:44pm.
A police cordon was duly set up around the train station, with the area from the main station entrance heading towards Pret a Manger, Starbucks and Subway closed off.
In their statement, Thames Valley Police confirmed officers representing both them and British Transport Police had attended the scene.
Their statement read, “Thames Valley Police is providing an update following the fatal shooting of a man outside Milton Keynes railway station this afternoon (1/4).
“Officers from Thames Valley Police and from British Transport Police were called to reports of a man carrying a firearm at the station on Elder Gate at 12.55pm.
“TVP armed officers responded and challenged a white man who was carrying a knife outside the station. He moved at speed towards officers with the knife before a shot was fired by police.
“Life-saving actions were immediately taken at the scene, but the man was sadly pronounced dead at 1.44pm. We have not yet informed the man’s next of kin so he has not been formally identified.”
Milton Keynes commander, Chief Superintendent Emma Baillie, said, “We understand that this incident may cause concern locally, but we would like to reassure the community that there is no wider risk to the public.”
Thames Valley Police have also confirmed they have made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who will be carrying out an independent investigation into this incident.
TVP also said, “We would ask people not to share footage or speculate about other details online.
“Officers remain at the scene, which is covering a large area outside the train station. However, the station remains open and trains are running as usual.
“There is disruption to the bus station and taxi rank outside the station as this area is currently part of the scene. Please check before you travel as you may need to seek alternative travel arrangements.”
The IOPC confirmed in their own statement yesterday less than two hours after the incident that they had received the referral and would be opening their own investigation into what happened.
