Plans for expansion of Leeds Bradford airport put on hold – after government direction – giving time for a decision to “call in”
The government has issued a direction to Leeds City Council, preventing councillors from granting planning permission for Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) expansion, without special authorisation. This means the expansion of LBA is now on hold. The direction – set out in section 31 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 – will give further time to Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, (MHCLG) to consider whether to formally “call in” the planning application for a public inquiry. The plans to build a new terminal building on the green belt had been given conditional approval by Leeds City Council in February, despite widespread opposition from local MPs, residents and environmental groups. Campaigners argued the expansion would make a mockery of efforts to tackle the climate crisis and undermine the government’s credibility ahead of a key climate conference later this year. The issue is of more than local importance, and a full public inquiry – chaired by a planning inspector, or lawyer – would mean all the evidence being properly considered. The inquiry would then make its recommendation to Robert Jenrick, to make the final decision.
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Decision on whether to hold a public inquiry into Leeds Bradford Airport expansion – delayed
6th April 2021 (By GALBA)
A decision by Secretary of State Robert Jenrick on whether to ‘call in’ the proposed expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport was expected today. However the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) was told by the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government that the decision has been delayed for an unspecified amount of time.
Chris Foren, chair of GALBA, said: “Over the last few weeks we have seen environmental groups, community groups, MPs, scientists and literally thousands of people, writing directly to the Secretary of State asking for a public inquiry. Thousands more have signed our petition. We hope that the delay is a sign that Mr Jenrick is taking those requests very seriously.”
He added: “Leeds City Council has refused to accept responsibility to safeguard the health of our communities, our climate and future generations. As a consequence the ball is in Mr Jenrick’s court. We urge him to take that responsibility and order a public inquiry.”
ENDS
Notes for editor
For information about GALBA (Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport): contact Chris Foren, GALBA Chair 07810 546727 or Chrisforen@virginmedia.com (contact details NOT for publication) and see the GALBA website: www.galba.uk
Public inquiry request: GALBA’s letter to Robert Jenrick requesting a public inquiry can be found here.
Petition: you can see GALBA’s petition here.
Photo: a high resolution photo of a giant projection onto Leeds Civic Hall of the words ‘Stop Leeds Bradford Airport expansion’ is attached. The photo is owned by GALBA and we freely give it for publication but please credit the photographer, Neil Terry.
Climate science and LBA expansion: the Leeds Climate Commission and experts in climate science from the University of Leeds have calculated that LBA’s proposals mean greenhouse gas emissions from the airport would double in the next 10 years and exceed the amount allowed for the whole of Leeds, as set out in the Leeds Carbon Reduction Roadmap, from 2026 onwards. See the report here.
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Plans for expansion of Leeds Bradford airport put on hold
Climate campaigners say they have been told government is preventing the granting of planning permission
By Helen Pidd (The Guardian)
Tue 6 Apr 2021
The expansion of Leeds Bradford airport has been put on hold after the government paused plans to build a new terminal building on the green belt.
The plans were given conditional approval by Leeds city council in February despite widespread opposition from local MPs, residents and environmental groups.
Campaigners argued the expansion would make a mockery of efforts to tackle the climate crisis and undermine the government’s credibility ahead of a key climate conference later this year.
On Tuesday the government issued a direction to Leeds city council preventing councillors from granting planning permission without special authorisation.
The direction – set out in section 31 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 – will give further time to Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, to consider whether to formally “call in” the planning application.
As secretary of state, he has powers to take the decision-making power on a planning application out of the hands of the local planning authority by calling it in for his own determination.
If a planning application is called in, there will be a public inquiry chaired by a planning inspector, or lawyer, who would make a recommendation to the secretary of state. Jenrick can reject these recommendations if he wishes and would take the final decision.
Jenrick recently used the powers to intervene in plans to build a new coalmine off the Cumbrian coast.
The same lawyers who took on the government over the mine wrote to Jenrick asking him to do the same with the Leeds Bradford airport
“[The] expansion would commit the UK to decades of increased carbon emissions, against the Climate Change Committee’s advice,” barrister Estelle Dehon argued earlier this year, acting on behalf of the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (Galba). “As with the proposed Cumbrian coalmine, allowing this in the year we host Cop26 undermines the UK’s ambition to lead on the climate crisis.”
In a statement, Galba said: “Over the last few weeks we have had environmental groups, community groups, MPs, scientists and literally thousands of local people, writing directly to [Jenrick] asking for a public inquiry, and many more thousands have signed a petition. We hope that the delay is a sign that [he] is taking those requests very seriously. Leeds city council has refused to accept the responsibility to safeguard the health of the planet and future generations and a consequence the ball is in [Jenrick’s] court. He must take that responsibility and order a public inquiry.”
Supporters of the project say the airport expansion would boost the local economy by hundreds of millions of pounds and support thousands of new jobs.
They argue the contested proposal is not about expansion but delivering a cleaner, greener terminal building to support a hoped-for increase in passengers from 4 million to 7 million people a year by 2030.
A spokesperson for Leeds Bradford airport, said: “We acknowledge the deadline extension and hope that the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government will uphold Leeds city council’s approval for our replacement terminal, which will deliver thousands of new jobs and support the region’s economy. Our proposals will deliver the UK’s most efficient terminal building, enabling us to become a net zero airport, building back better and enhancing connectivity within the UK and internationally.”
A spokesperson for Leeds city council said: “We have been informed today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that the secretary of state will take some additional time to consider the Leeds Bradford airport planning application.
“The application is a complex one and has generated a significant amount of interest at both a local and national level. We await the secretary of state’s decision in due course.”
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Leeds Bradford Airport expansion decision delayed by communities secretary Robert Jenrick
Plans for the expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) face a delay after the Government said it needed more time to decide whether to ‘call in’ the application.
By Joe Cooper (Yorkshire Evening Post)
Tuesday, 6th April 2021
Secretary of State Robert Jenrick has decided his department needs longer to investigate whether to review the decision to build a new terminal building.
The “state of the art” £150m building was given the go-ahead by Leeds city councillors in February.
The outcome paved the way for the new terminal, an increase in passengers from four million to seven million a year and the expansion of daylight flying hours from 6am to 11.30pm.
But campaigners, academics and environmentalists have warned flights in and out of Leeds needed to dramatically reduce in order to help humanity avert climate catastrophe in the coming years.
As secretary of state for the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Mr Jenrick has the power to take the decision on the planning application out of the hands of Leeds City Council by calling it in for a review.
It was referred to his department as it would constitute significant development on green belt land.
Chris Foren, chair of GALBA (Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport), said: “Over the last few weeks we have seen environmental groups, community groups, MPs, scientists and literally thousands of people, writing directly to the Secretary of State asking for a public inquiry. Thousands more have signed our petition.
“We hope that the delay is a sign that Mr Jenrick is taking those requests very seriously.”
He added: “Leeds City Council has refused to accept responsibility to safeguard the health of our communities, our climate and future generations.
“As a consequence the ball is in Mr Jenrick’s court.
“We urge him to take that responsibility and order a public inquiry.”
In February LBA chairman Andy Clarke told the YEP his team would “work with whatever is thrown at us” to get their new terminal building over the line.
The airport insists the new terminal is not an expansion, as it can already expand passenger numbers with its existing facilities, and that the replacement building will help it achieve its carbon net-zero goals.
A spokesperson for LBA said: “We acknowledge the deadline extension and hope that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government will uphold Leeds City Council’s approval for our replacement terminal, which will deliver thousands of new jobs and support the region’s economy.
“Our proposals will deliver the UK’s most efficient terminal building, enabling us to become a net zero airport, building back better and enhancing connectivity within the UK and internationally.”
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “We have been informed today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government that the Secretary of State will take some additional time to consider the Leeds Bradford Airport planning application.
“The application is a complex one and has generated a significant amount of interest at both a local and national level.
“We await the Secretary of State’s decision in due course.”
Henri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The Secretary of State would be misguided to pull the plug on a shovel-ready project which has the potential to unlock huge connectivity benefits for Yorkshire businesses and communities.
“It would give the North a fairer share of flights, lowering the number of travellers forced to drive down to Heathrow.
“By keeping benefits of aviation concentrated in only London and the South East, protestors are risking Northern jobs and livelihoods – just as the recovery could be about to kickstart genuine economic rebalancing by allowing businesses to better distribute their talented people across the UKs city regions.”
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See earlier:
Letter from nearly 80 organisations and groups urges Leeds Bradford Airport decision be ‘called in’
Nearly 80 West Yorkshire community groups, environmental organisations and councillors from all parties have urged the decision on Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) to be ‘called in’. Signatories of the letter to Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, include Bradford councillors, Shipley Constituency Labour Party, Thornton, Allerton and Sandy Lane Branch Labour Party, Keighley and Ilkley Green Party, Bradford Green Party, Clean Air Bradford, Bradford Green New Deal, Baildon and Shipley Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion Bradford, Shipley Town Council and more. The Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) has asked the Secretary of State to hold a public inquiry because they say “there are significant effects beyond LBA’s immediate locality and there is substantial cross-boundary and national controversy; these issues have not been adequately addressed by Leeds City Council; and airport expansion conflicts with national policies on important matters”. The UK needs a proper national policy on airports, airport expansion, and carbon emissions. The CCC has said there must be no net airport growth, but many airports plan to expand – none plan to contract.
Click here to view full story…
Alex Sobel MP tells government to stop Leeds Bradford Airport’s new £150m terminal
The MP for Leeds North West, Alex Sobel, has told the government it needs to dramatically intervene to stop the building of a new terminal at Leeds Bradford Airport. The airport is in his constituency. He has asked the Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, to call in the decision made by Leeds City Councillors to approve plans for a new terminal. The expansion plans are intended to increase the number of flights and passengers, and therefore the amount of noise and carbon emissions. Mr Sobel has been a long-time critic of the airport’s plans. He has pointed out that the expansion plans are not in keeping with the advice of the Committee on Climate Change, to limit aviation expansion, in order to reach UK carbon targets. He said: “I do not believe that a local plans panel of 14 councillors is in any way a competent body to be making a decision of this significance. Applications which significantly affect the carbon budget must be made nationally. We need a national aviation plan and significant measures to reduce net emissions from UK flights. I look forward to seeing these in the Government’s response to the Committee on Climate Change’s Sixth Carbon Budget Report.”
Click here to view full story…
GALBA’s Response to Leeds City Council Plans Panel’s Confirmation of LBA Expansion Approval
11.3.2021 (Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport)
Despite councillor after councillor expressing unhappiness at the conditions offered by LBA, it looks like threat of an appeal by the airport was the reason why Leeds City Council’s Plans Panel confirmed its approval of Leeds Bradford Airport’s planning application. We are disappointed but not surprised by that decision. GALBA remains committed to protecting the health of our climate and our communities by stopping airport expansion. We believe the decision should be considered at a public inquiry where the climate, noise, health and economic impacts can be properly and thoroughly investigated. Alternatively, we will challenge the Council’s decision in the courts. We have the resources and the determination to continue our campaign for as long as necessary.
Leeds Bradford Airport terminal recommended for final approval – but old building could remain standing
A new document has shown Leeds Bradford Airport may not be able to demolish its old terminal building if/when a replacement is built, as it contains much of the site’s crucial infrastructure. As part of a Leeds City Council’s recent in-principle acceptance of the rebuild last month, members wanted the ageing terminal building to be demolished as soon as possible once the new one was built. But a document set to go before the panel next week claims the airport cannot do this, as it currently contains the airport’s air traffic control tower, fire station, IT, communications, security, safety and mechanical infrastructure These are needed for the airport to maintain its aerodrome licence, but the airport says it has committed to creating a “masterplan” to get rid of the site in the longer term. The report, set to go before the Council’s plans panel on 11th March. It said: “The existing terminal will not be used by passengers which is restricted in the proposed (planning) agreement….[it] houses some of the Airports critical operations…” The airport’s management offices are also included in the terminal building, as well as Jet2’s staff offices.
Click here to view full story…
Open letter from 246 University of Leeds academics, to Robert Jenrick, asking him to “call in” the Leeds Bradford decision
246 University of Leeds staff (including 46 professors and associate professors) ,and postgraduate researchers have signed an open letter, asking Robert Jenrick (Sec of State) to ‘call in’ the decision on Leeds Bradford Airport. The government should take responsibility for the decision, which is of national importance because of the increased carbon emissions and their impact on UK carbon commitments. The academics say expanding LBA’s passenger numbers by 75% exceeds the maximum rate of growth that the Climate Change Committee considers compatible with the UK’s legally adopted net-zero target. It would make it much more difficult – and more costly – for the UK to achieve its climate targets and would require reductions in passenger numbers elsewhere in the UK. “In the year that the UK is hosting the COP26 conference, it is vital that we show leadership on climate change and take the necessary actions to secure a safe, zero-carbon future. We therefore urge you [Robert Jenrick] to call in this application so that the issues highlighted are considered in light of national and international climate targets and associated guidance.” The alleged economic benefits of the expansion, or jobs created, would be unlikely to materialise.
Click here to view full story…
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