Future Infrastructure Developments

[Aviador]

The main issue with the Council on this is its climate emergency strategy...which nameless person or sub committee in the council gave the go ahead on this and did they think through the implications?

Indeed. Seriously, what is it? A micro climate emergency? The Manchester Airport Transformation Project is adding around 17m extra capacity. Does Labour run Manchester council not agree with Labour run Leeds or Bradford? They need to get their ducks in order!

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

@LBA787 the problem as you highlighted is that the current political system is rigged to the top 2 and doesn't represent fringe parties. Which was fine pre 2010; but since then we've seen since then is the rise of these parties; votes attributed to them and very minimal seats which not only disengages the voter as they see that their voice is not represented but also produces some very odd and quite frankly unfair election results. A prime example of what i'm talking about is the 2019 G.E which saw SNP win 48 seats with 1,242,380 votes where Lib Dems got 3,696,419 votes with 11 seats. Likewise Green Party got 835,579 votes and 1 MP, Brexit Party 644,257 and no MP.

It's even worse if you look at Scotland who now say they've been given a mandate for a 2nd referendum when in actual fact if you count the votes for SNP v Rest of the parties you get - 1,242,830 v 1,516,581 (1,204,077 - Lab and Conservatives combined) i would say that is quite the opposite. Proportional Rep would of given us 288 for Conservatives, 216 for Labour, 70 Lib Dem, 28 for SNP, 10 Brexit and 12 Green,

Even though i disagree with labour politicians of this area putting in rejection comments, most of which is based on fake news, i'm sorry but i will be ABC (anything but conservatives) at the next General Election. This government is a circus, lead by a Donkey or Clown, is winging this current situation and making a absolute dogs dinner of it. He was elected on sound bites and only sound bites and whilst his first month or so in Power were (January - pre election he was just as terrible), i'll give him his due, a decent performance, this pandemic has shown how out of the depth, bone idle, and incompetent he really is. And what a bunch of nodding dogs he has in his cabinet with the exception of the Chancellor. And that is not because he's giving out free money etc; but because he seems to have contraction, compassion, is well researched, articulate, knowledgable and doesn't fade away from questions.
This all because BoJo went to a school which produces merchant bankers who think it's their god given right to govern our country. I am hoping that the conservative party rid of him soon as possible, possibly when a good chunk of the Brexit stuff is out of the way because he is damaging them. And the 1922 Committee, long serving backbenchers etc, MP's in "red wall" are starting to make noise about how worried they are about Kier & Labour. If you had asked me 5 years ago which party would deal with a pandemic such as this i would of said hands down conservatives. How wrong i was.

Anyway back to the LBA - if the terminal doesn't get approved it just shows which i've always said about LCC council and it's current make up of councillors. They lack any strategy for long term infrastructure, are always playing catch up rather then looking forward, they make do and mend, adding cycle lanes all over place with no new roads etc. We are probably a good decade if not 2 behind other major cities due to the lack of any light transit system; a crap road system which is starting to crumble, and the continued development of new housing estates with no plan on making the road infrastructure work for them.

 

[LBA4EVER]

I know where your coming from sherburnflyer92 regarding the Chancellor, he has really helped myself out during this crisis, in fact im actually better off than before and unlike the rest of them when rishi appears on TV I certainly feel more relaxed, potentially a future PM?

 

[dmrodgers]

I know where your coming from sherburnflyer92 regarding the Chancellor, he has really helped myself out during this crisis, in fact im actually better off than before and unlike the rest of them when rishi appears on TV I certainly feel more relaxed, potentially a future PM?

And he represents our Yorkshire constituency of Richmond although he is originally from Southampton.

 

[Aviador]

I agree. He comes across as a moderate level headed guy and very priministerial.

 

[Aviador]

@LBA787 the problem as you highlighted is that the current political system is rigged to the top 2 and doesn't represent fringe parties. Which was fine pre 2010; but since then we've seen since then is the rise of these parties; votes attributed to them and very minimal seats which not only disengages the voter as they see that their voice is not represented but also produces some very odd and quite frankly unfair election results. A prime example of what i'm talking about is the 2019 G.E which saw SNP win 48 seats with 1,242,380 votes where Lib Dems got 3,696,419 votes with 11 seats. Likewise Green Party got 835,579 votes and 1 MP, Brexit Party 644,257 and no MP.

It's even worse if you look at Scotland who now say they've been given a mandate for a 2nd referendum when in actual fact if you count the votes for SNP v Rest of the parties you get - 1,242,830 v 1,516,581 (1,204,077 - Lab and Conservatives combined) i would say that is quite the opposite. Proportional Rep would of given us 288 for Conservatives, 216 for Labour, 70 Lib Dem, 28 for SNP, 10 Brexit and 12 Green,

Even though i disagree with labour politicians of this area putting in rejection comments, most of which is based on fake news, i'm sorry but i will be ABC (anything but conservatives) at the next General Election. This government is a circus, lead by a Donkey or Clown, is winging this current situation and making a absolute dogs dinner of it. He was elected on sound bites and only sound bites and whilst his first month or so in Power were (January - pre election he was just as terrible), i'll give him his due, a decent performance, this pandemic has shown how out of the depth, bone idle, and incompetent he really is. And what a bunch of nodding dogs he has in his cabinet with the exception of the Chancellor. And that is not because he's giving out free money etc; but because he seems to have contraction, compassion, is well researched, articulate, knowledgable and doesn't fade away from questions.
This all because BoJo went to a school which produces merchant bankers who think it's their god given right to govern our country. I am hoping that the conservative party rid of him soon as possible, possibly when a good chunk of the Brexit stuff is out of the way because he is damaging them. And the 1922 Committee, long serving backbenchers etc, MP's in "red wall" are starting to make noise about how worried they are about Kier & Labour. If you had asked me 5 years ago which party would deal with a pandemic such as this i would of said hands down conservatives. How wrong i was.

Anyway back to the LBA - if the terminal doesn't get approved it just shows which i've always said about LCC council and it's current make up of councillors. They lack any strategy for long term infrastructure, are always playing catch up rather then looking forward, they make do and mend, adding cycle lanes all over place with no new roads etc. We are probably a good decade if not 2 behind other major cities due to the lack of any light transit system; a crap road system which is starting to crumble, and the continued development of new housing estates with no plan on making the road infrastructure work for them.

The only problem there is by allowing fringe parties to have more of a say could increase far right movements.

 

[paully]

Boris is not and never was planned to be long term. Either by him but especially by the `Men in Grey Suits`. His job was to sort out the mess left by May, win the election and get Brexit done. Only the last one remains and I estimate he`ll be gone by next summer. I honestly think his health is quite poor at the moment and he may even go before that point. I think the next will be a fight between Rishi and Sajid Javid...You heard it here first

LCC on the other hand are and always will be, an ongoing political internicine war of numerous factions and interest. Until they are abolished and replaced by a single area Mayor little will change. It wouldnt suprise me if they even found some mechanism to kick the can of the Terminal application down the road.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

And he represents our Yorkshire constituency of Richmond although he is originally from Southampton.

That makes him more likeable. Oh there is a lot of displaced politicians from all over the shop to the area they represent.

Hilary Benn - Leeds Central, London born.
Richard Burgon - Leeds East, Leeds born.
Fabien Hamilton - Leeds North East, London born.
Alex Sobel - Leeds North West, Leeds born.
Rachel Reeves - Leeds West, London born.

Looks like we are quite lucky with 2/5 politicians born in the city they represent.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

The only problem there is by allowing fringe parties to have more of a say could increase far right movements.

It would appear that 10 seats under PR would be to the Brexit Party. This of course after the "we will never make a pact with Brexit Party" conservatives made the very pact knowing under FPTP would have split the votes and allowed labour to get in. It would have been interested if we had had PR if the Brexit Party would of gained anymore votes, how desperate the Conservatives would of got last election; likewise the Lib Dems would have probably gained more votes from the Central area who sway right or left but have no other choice but to vote Con or Labour. But we are going off piste

 

[Coathanger16]

The problem with switching from a FPTP system to a PR one is that the former allows the 2 main parties to gain a majority and therefore make a "single" (vs coalition) government. PR would jeopardise this and so neither LAB or CON would propose changing to such a system.

Back in 2011 we actually had a referendum on whether we should switch to using the Alternative Vote (better than PR in many ways) - the country voted 68% against (albeit on only a 42% turnout).

- Now that Boris is PM and CON have a majority, the Brexit Party/UKIP will have less relevance going forward.

- If by the next election we've "finished" Brexit (i.e. transition period is over, new trade deals have been implemented, etc) and Scotland either hasn't had another referendum, or they have and voted against independence, I suspect the SNP will have even less relevance.

- At times it feels like the Liberal Democrats have had a new leader every other week and besides at the last election when they essentially became the "Remain Party", don't really know quite where to position themselves other than as the party to vote for if you don't want to vote LAB or CON.

- That only really leaves the Green Party, which despite a growth in "Climate Conscious" people, I doubt will ever secure that many votes.

My point being in the December election, CON & LAB gained 76% of all votes (in 2017 it was 82%). Regardless of what voting system is used, I suspect that figure will be much higher at the next election.

 

[Jerry]

My point being in the December election, CON & LAB gained 76% of all votes (in 2017 it was 82%). Regardless of what voting system is used, I suspect that figure will be much higher at the next election.

Next GE may be different as there is a boundary change coming up. Less Welsh MPs 40 to 32, less Scottish MPs by 3 and less English northern and Midlands MPs. There'll be more MPs in the South so it's likely there'll be a bigger majority for the Tories. As for the SNP don't count them out, I expect they'll still be the dominant party in Scotland and it's predicted that they'll win the bulk of the seats at Holyrood in 2021. In fact for Wales and Scotland the devolved election's will be extremely important much more than the Westminster GE.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Ever since Boris returned after his covid scare, to me he just does not seem right, they do say that this virus does affect your internal organs for life. He has taken a backseat much of the time since, looks fed up and drawn, although I bet he never expected to deal with all this that's happened this year, plus a new born baby! Guess id be a bit worn out having to deal with this terrible virus!

 

[White Heather]

That makes him more likeable. Oh there is a lot of displaced politicians from all over the shop to the area they represent.

Hilary Benn - Leeds Central, London born.
Richard Burgon - Leeds East, Leeds born.
Fabien Hamilton - Leeds North East, London born.
Alex Sobel - Leeds North West, Leeds born.
Rachel Reeves - Leeds West, London born.

Looks like we are quite lucky with 2/5 politicians born in the city they represent.

Except neither Leeds born MP supports our airport, or the jobs it creates, or the GDP it would bring to the City. All they support is their own beliefs and ideals. They are supposed to represent the public that voted them in.

 

[lbaspotter]

Anyone else just seen this new sponsored add on LBA Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/127490520622172/posts/3075602502477611

 

[White Heather]

It's great though would have been better still about 2 months ago!

 

[White Heather]

A supportive friend today wrote to Cllr John Pennington, Conservative leader within Bradford Council, about the airport. He stated in reply that LBA is 3rd world in most respects, that the owners care nothing for the area and just want to make money, and that 7m pax per year would be intolerable. So guess what. He wants Doncaster developed as a Yorkshire Regional Airport. Perhaps he lives near LBA.

Another NIMBY in power.

 

[White Heather]

During Covid closure LBA have been very busy having a new £6m baggage belt system installed behind the Jet2 check in desks. It is a far superior system to that it replaced and can now handle more baggage than Jet2 can throw at it. It is also computerised so in the event of any faults it produces a report to identify where the fault is and speed up repair times. The old one didn't and was only a quarter of the size of the new one.
The bottom line is that this enables Jet2 to process more passengers in shorter time and effectively allows them to operate more flights. Previously the baggage belt capacity (when working) limited the number of bags that could be handled and therefore the number of flights departing within a given period. It is almost completed and undergoing testing at the present time.

Significant changes are also in place in departures security so LBA management are still investing in keeping the old terminal going whilst planning for a new one.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Crikey that's not good having to keep upgrading your old terminal because it really is that dated, even when hopefully we will see a new one!!

 

[White Heather]

Crikey that's not good having to keep upgrading your old terminal because it really is that dated, even when hopefully we will see a new one!!

The previous baggage belt was 18 months old. It apparently wasn't designed or installed properly. Nor did it have the capacity. However, generally, with a new building at least 3 years away , there is no choice but to continue investing in the old one. New requirements and guidelines regularly demand change and expenditure. The airport has to run efficiently. We all know Jet2 had horrendous issues last year with the baggage belts failing regularly and LBA know that they have to provide the required service and facilities to airline partners - especially your major carrier. Just a shame they may not get a chance to really use the extra capacity for some time.

 

[dakota eng]

Good article in the YP today , supporting the airport ,by Harvey Logan { a student from Skipton.}