Leeds Bradford Airport development plans at last to go to public inquiry – date unknown

Leeds Bradford airport Leeds Bradford submitted plans for new terminal building & more passengers (4m to 7m a year) in May 2020. There has been intense opposition to the plan, led by local opposition group, GALBA.  In March 2021 the terminal plan was approved by Leeds City Council, but in April 2021 the government issued a direction to the Council, preventing councillors from granting the planning permission without special authorisation. There have been numerous requests for the application to be called in. Now it has been announced by the DLUHC – headed by Michael Gove – that the application will indeed go to a public inquiry – though the date is not yet decided.  It is a triumph for the persistent pressure by opponents, managing to achieve this significant delay. The inquiry means the arguments against the expansion will be properly and fully heard.  Some of the matters that Mr Gove “particularly wishes to be informed about” included the extent to which the proposed development is consistent with government policies for “protecting green belt land” and “meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change”. Airport expansion can only increase carbon emissions. 
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Leeds Bradford Airport development plans to face public inquiry

19.1.2022 (BBC)

A public inquiry is to be held into the decision to allow the building of a new £150m terminal building at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA). Under the plans, existing buildings at Leeds Bradford Airport would be demolished and a new terminal built.

The airport’s planning application was approved by Leeds City Council in March last year, despite objections by campaigners and local MPs.

The then Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick postponed making a decision on calls for a public inquiry.

However, his successor Michael Gove has now “called in” the plans.

The project would see existing buildings demolished to make way for the new 366,000 sq ft (34,000 sq m) three-storey terminal.

The airport claimed the replacement building would be a more efficient and sustainable development, helping it to achieve its carbon net-zero goals by 2023.

Leeds Bradford Airport terminal deals with about four million passengers annually.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a letter from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities stated that matters which Mr Gove “particularly wishes to be informed about” included “the extent to which the proposed development is consistent with government policies for protecting green belt land”.

The letter also listed “the extent to which the proposed development is consistent with government policies for meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change” and the extent to which the plans for the airport were “consistent with the development plan for the area”.

The decision to call in the plans to redevelop the terminal building at Leeds Bradford Airport and hold a public inquiry was welcomed by the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA).

Chris Foren, chair of GALBA, said: “It means all the consequences of LBA expansion will be properly considered by experienced planning experts.”

Mr Foren highlighted the fact that the inquiry would scrutinise how consistent the proposed redevelopment was with government policy over climate change.

“Airport expansion is obviously inconsistent with tackling the climate crisis,” he said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-60060016

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GALBA commented:  While it doesn’t mean the application will necessarily be rejected, it does give us a good opportunity to get the issues thoroughly assessed, with our experts giving evidence.


Campaigners welcome decision to hold an inquiry into Leeds Bradford Airport expansions plans

By Annette McIntyre (Wharfedale Observer)  Reporter

19.1.2022

THE GROUP for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA)t has welcomed the decision to ‘call in’ controversial plans to expand the airport and hold a local inquiry.

Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, made the announcement this morning.

Chris Foren, chair of GALBA, said: “We’re very pleased with Mr Gove’s decision. It means that all of the consequences of LBA expansion will be properly considered by experienced planning experts. Among other things, the inquiry will look at ‘the extent to which the proposed development is consistent with Government policies for meeting the challenge of climate change’.

“Airport expansion is obviously inconsistent with tackling the climate crisis. Scientists have repeatedly said that we must cut all our greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 to prevent a climate catastrophe. If LBA expands, its emissions would double.

“Thanks to the thousands of people who donated to GALBA’s campaign, we will be able to use experts in planning law, climate science, health and economics to explain to the inquiry why LBA expansion cannot be allowed. We will present evidence to show that expansion would also damage the health of our communities, from the additional noise and air pollution.”

He added: “Everyone knows cutting greenhouse gases is the most important challenge facing humanity and the people of Leeds and West Yorkshire have shown true climate leadership. We can choose to rebuild our economy in a sustainable way and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”

No date has been set for the inquiry.

https://www.wharfedaleobserver.co.uk/news/19859058.campaigners-welcome-decision-hold-inquiry-leeds-bradford-airport-expansions-plans/

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See earlier:

New NEF report shows the climate impact of regional airport plans has been considerably underestimated

See original image in the Guardian article here

For UK to properly take account of the overall climate impact of UK aviation – it needs to consider the emissions from departing AND arriving flights (it currently ignores arriving flights). And also the non-CO2 impacts on climate. Maximum impact is multiplier of x3 (shown here). The multiplier could be x2.

report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) says the climate impact of expansion plans at regional airports in England has been dramatically underestimated and would threaten the UK’s legally binding climate commitments.  NEF calculated that proposals to expand 4 airports (Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted) will lead to an increase in CO2 emissions up to 8 times higher than the airports previously claimed. This means the alleged economic benefits claimed, from more aviation, were overestimated, as they ignore around £13.4bn worth of climate damage the extra flights could cause. Alex Chapman, the author of the report, said the findings raised concerns about the level of scrutiny the airport expansion proposals had received from government. Alex said: “The secretary of state should step in and conduct an independent review of all four of these proposals and their compatibility with the UK’s climate targets.”  The airports all use unproven and undeveloped technologies to achieve future fuel-efficiency savings. Most airports only took account of CO2 of outbound flights, not of inbound flights, and ignored the non-CO2 impacts of flights.

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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 preventing councillors from granting planning permission – 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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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.

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