Leeds Bradford Airport 'disappointed' over public inquiry into £150m rebuild plans

While the plans were approved by a Leeds City Council planning committee nearly a year ago, they were thrown into limbo as the Government paused the process while it came to a decision on whether to further investigate the proposals.

It follows months of campaigning against by MPs, climate scientists and community groups, who claim the plans would contribute to catastrophic climate change and local night time noise.

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However, a statement from a spokesperson for Leeds Bradford Airport said the move was “disappointing”, and that the new airport would have been more environmentally friendly than a previous version of the plans which had already been approved.

It stated: “We are disappointed that the Secretary of State has called in plans for what would be a highly sustainable replacement terminal building, designed to a BREAAM Excellent rating, at Leeds Bradford Airport.

“Our proposals are robust and have the potential to boost the local economy at a time we need it most, generating more than 5,000 jobs and almost £500 million to the local economy.

If the Government is serious about its levelling up plan, we cannot overlook this chance to turbocharge the recovery of the region.

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“Leeds City Council’s Local Plan and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership’s Strategic Economic Plan support the continued development of LBA.

“While we already have consent to grow LBA’s existing terminal, consent for a replacement terminal would allow us to achieve the same, in a more sustainable way, with a smaller physical footprint.

“Our scheme does not impact upon Leeds City Council’s ability to meet its climate emergency commitments and was never about passenger growth, which we already have consent to deliver against.

“We are confident our proposals meet with legislation and look forward to hearing the Secretary of State’s decision in due course.”

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