Just to update everyone, on behalf of Sentinel Airport Parking:
The Inspector at the the public inquiry ruled in favour of Sentinel and granted them planning permission for their expanded site, giving them a total of 2,000 car parking spaces. More than 3,500 customers had emailed their support ahead of the inquiry.
The decision means that the jobs of up to fifty local people have been secured.
Managing Director Ed Hayes said he was “absolutely delighted” at the decision. He added: “We were overwhelmed by the public support we received, and it is a tribute to the hard work of all our staff that they appreciate the service we provide so much.
“We fully support Leeds City Council’s initiatives to bring new jobs to the area and to improve public transport to the Airport. But these proposals are still at a very early planning stage with no source of funding identified, and current public transport links are not convenient for a high proportion of travellers.
“We want to continue to work with the City Council and others to make Leeds Bradford International Airport the airport of choice for local travellers and a thriving economic hub in the region.”
 
I see its not just Sentinel Airport Parking that have been granted planning permission for yet more Car Parking spaces up at LBA AS Learmonth Property Investment Company has been granted planning permission for a undercovered 643-space 24-hour car park in the old Avro Hanger next to the Airport.

Source: http://www.uk-airport-news.info/leeds-bradford-airport-news-220511.html


Planning permission for Leeds Bradford Airport car park

22.05.11

A Government planning inspector has given developers permission to build a large car park at Leeds Bradford Airport after a planning appeal. The Learmonth Property Investment Company has been granted planning permission for a 643-space 24-hour car park near the airport in Yeadon.

The scheme will bring back into use a large business unit at the Leeds Bradford Airport Industrial Estate, which has been standing empty for more than two and a half years. A spokesman for CB Richard Ellis, the planning consultants which acted on behalf of the firm in the three-day planning appeal hearing, said said: ‘This is an excellent result for all parties and will undoubtedly enhance the offering at Leeds Bradford Airport as well as creating and safeguarding jobs.’
 
When I fly from the airport in summer and other peak holidays throughout the year, the car-park is always full. Myself and my family have always pre-booked, on the very rare occasions when we have left our car, so have had no problems, but I'm sure if you didn't pre-book then you would struggle to get a space within the peak periods in the year.
The healthy competition with the three separate parking locations should bring flexible prices as well.
 
tomleeds said:
When I fly from the airport in summer and other peak holidays throughout the year, the car-park is always full. Myself and my family have always pre-booked, on the very rare occasions when we have left our car, so have had no problems, but I'm sure if you didn't pre-book then you would struggle to get a space within the peak periods in the year.
The healthy competition with the three separate parking locations should bring flexible prices as well.

That is a valid point 'tomleeds' and one of the things I have been thinking about regarding the introduction of the hour free parking in the Long Stay car park. It must surely raise concerns about the availability of spaces in the long stay car park particularly during peak periods such as the school and bank holidays when there are only limited spaces. Clearly, it is better for the airport company to receive as much revenue from car parking as possible, I would be interested to know how the airports plans to tackle parking availability in the future, with particular reference to the location of new parking spaces.
 
I don 't know if this has been reported else but the YEP is reporting £2 drop off fee at LBIA being introduced.

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... _1_3408810

They were replacing the ticket barriers on the drop-off car park a week last Monday causing havoc. I wondered why?
Shameful profiteering. It's going to be fun getting picked up and dropped off on the bottom road but no doubt they'll be charging for that too! :diablo:
 
Despite being a fan of the airport, i feel this is a real disappointment, and a ploy to obtain income generation from unwitting drivers. We are already being ripped off by low-cost airlines for stealth charges, and now it seems the airport is doing it too. The airport management need to stop being so profit focussed and start spending a bit of their own money on the terminal improvements. These parking charges certainly are not improvements. LBA - you are loosing your loyal customer base with stealth moves like this
 
Edinburgh has done the same although "only" a £, however there is a free drop area away from the terminal and a free bus shuttle to the check in area so I think LBA should have something similar.
 
Manchester Airport £2.20 upto 30mins, gone up 20p since I went to pick up my parents. Tryed to park outside airport and was quickly told to move on into the pick up and drop of area. I was only there for 3minutes.
 
Forgot to say I will pay £2.00 next time to use LBIA pick and drop off family and freinds, as I fully support the expansion of the airport to be built in the near future and no doubt the funding from the car park will contribute to it.
 
stewief1 said:
Despite being a fan of the airport, i feel this is a real disappointment, and a ploy to obtain income generation from unwitting drivers.
Not really 'unwitting', you have to drive past a multitude of signs warning you about it before you get to the entry barrier, and there's still a free option.

It costs a lot of money to run an airport. In the past, the airlines charged this money through their fares and passed it on to the airports. These days, passengers pay a lot less to the airlines and the airlines pay very little to the airports. The cost of running an airport hasn't reduced (the opposite, in fact), so the revenue has to be obtained elsewhere, by charging passengers directly. I'm stating the blatantly obvious with all this, but how else is an airport supposed to cover its costs if it doesn't charge for the use of its facilities?
 
T67A said:
Forgot to say I will pay £2.00 next time to use LBIA pick and drop off family and freinds, as I fully support the expansion of the airport to be built in the near future and no doubt the funding from the car park will contribute to it.

With all due respect T67A, Bridgepoint is a multi billion pound business. I don't think a £2.00 pick-up and drop-off charge (£4.00 for a return) can be regarded as a development fund. Call me cynical but once the initial fuss about the pick-up and drop-off charges has blown over, how long will it be before the airport remove the 1 hour free parking in the long stay car park too? :spiteful:
 
Completely agree Radar. The airport is a profit making organisation, that makes far less now in landing fees and relies on generating money from passengers inside and outside the terminal. They have actually reduced the costs in many instances as you can now wait much longer in the drop off area for your £2. last time I went, my sister was delayed in the terminal and it cost more than £2 for less than 30 minutes. There is also the free option in the long term car park that has also been introduced. Just about every other airport is going down the same route. I really can't see why there are complaints about people being ripped off - its a fact of life now - car parks invariably cost money, especially on what is (now) privately owned land. Of course the car load of passengers can forsake the car, save £2 and all get on the bus, which will cost how much? A lot more than £2 for sure!
 
I think its just a sad reflection of the current climate, and i reiterate my point, that this is purely a tactic to generate income from visitors to the airport, the majority of which don't have the insight into the parking policy that members of this forum do . At the very least, they have provided a free option to pick up family / friends, but i wonder how well this is sign-posted to the approaching 'unwitting' driver. White Heather - i can't accept that being ripped-off should be acceptable as a fact of life now-a-day.
 
Stewief1 - I agree with you that being ripped off shouldn't happen, but I don't think that £2 for up to 30 minutes is a rip off. You can pay that much parked on a meter in Leeds, and the fact is that there is a free option too, although a little further away. Of course it is a tactic to generate income. The airport is a profit making organisation. If it makes no money where do we expect them to find the money to develop the airport? They certainly don't make much these days from landing fees, and particularly from airlines such as Ryanair. Virtually all their profit comes from car parking and money made in the terminal. This is a reduction in cost, not an increase, so if you are not happy with £2 for 30 minutes, you certainly wouldn't have been happy before. I admit that £2 just to drop someone off and then leave is a bit pricey, but trying to charge one rate for those hanging around waiting for arriving passengers and another for those just dropping off and leaving is not going to happen.
 
The days have gone when you could take someone to the airport, be with them as they checked in, say your goodbyes etc, have a coffee in the airport and then set off again and at no cost. Even the fuel cost is high now, never mind the drop off fee....
Ah well!....
 
At today's consultative meeting, this issue was again 'done to death'. The airport effectively confirmed that parking was now a vital part of their income, along with income derived inside the terminal and of course whatever monies are paid by airlines to land at LBA, although as we all know, such funds are now greatly reduced compared to a few years ago. It costs £28m per year to run LBIA apparently.

So vital is parking that the recent decision by the Public Enquiry to grant permission for off airport parking will remove funds from the airport and potentially slow down the rate at which the airport can be developed. Quite simply, less money coming in, so less money to spend.

I confirmed that anyone wishing to park for up to 1 hour, free of charge in Long Stay Car Parks 1 and 2, can also make use of the free mini bus transport to and from the airport terminal, allowing time to go with your passengers to spend a little time with them in the terminal. Parking charges at other airports were provided and virtually all of them now charge a similar amount. Manchester was quoted to be £2.20. Some others had a minimum charge of £3. Overall, it was reported that despite the mischief making of the local press, who have indicated widespread dissatisfaction and near anarchy in the drop off area, the reality is that there has been very little negative reaction.

For private hire vehicles, there is a 'Voyager' system available (which many firms are now taking up) whereby they pay £25 per year per car. This enables them to use the drop off area as many times as they like, and there is no charge for up to 15 minutes. We were advised that the airport installed this to assist taxi firms and they will never recover the costs. However, many firms didn't bother to take it up when it was first offered and admitted to not even reading the information sent to them by LBIA. Now they are signing up for the scheme rapidly!
 
Having used the shuttle bus from the long stay car park, I can say without a doubt that there are just not enough shuttle buses. You can be waiting for ages for a bus. Eats into your free hour before you know it.
 
To my knowledge, there are only 3 small shuttle buses at the moment and they are supposed to be used by passengers who are due to fly from the airport. To fit additional people who are only going up to the airport from the car-park to meet passengers is really going to stretch the drivers and the actual buses to the limit.

I agree Bigman. There are so few that I have seen people actually walking through the car-parks to the terminal, to make sure they don't miss their flight. Having worked at the airport last summer, I saw a few angry faces when I was in the car-park. The barriers themselves cause a lot of problems as well.
 
Oh here we go again. Now Coun Andrew Carter, leader of the Conservative group on Leeds City Council, has waded into the row in tonight's Evening Post. He now wants to try and make the councils plans for the new proposed Taxi rank on Whitehouse Lane to be made bigger so that it can be used as a new pick up and drop off point for Car users.

When will this stop. Its like watching a royal battle betwwen Bridgepoint PLC vs LCC at the moment. Next thing we know Firstbus will wade in the argument and want access to it so it can launch a new rival cormmercial bus service to Leeds. Just as they wanted to last year. By Way LBA would not comment. I wonder why? They have also gone really quite on the subject on there Facebook page after a load of comments where made.

Source: http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... _1_3443319

Drop off ‘rip off’ blast for Leeds Bradford Airport bosses

By Sam Casey
Published on Friday 3 June 2011 07:40

CONTROVERSIAL new drop-off charges at Leeds Bradford International Airport have been branded a “rip-off” by a top councillor.

As reported in the YEP, the airport has introduced a minimum £2 fee for anyone wanting to pick up or drop off friends and relatives outside the terminal building.

The so-called “kiss and fly tax” replaces arrangements under which drivers had 10 minutes free of charge to collect or say goodbye to passengers. It has sparked anger from members of the public.

Now Coun Andrew Carter, pictured, leader of the Conservative group on Leeds City Council, has waded into the row.

He said: “In my view this is an act of bad faith on their part, and a rip-off for their customers.”

Under the new system, cars’ number plates are filmed as they enter the short-stay car park. The charge motorists have to pay, which increases to £5 after 30 minutes, is then automatically calculated when they exit.

Airport bosses have refused to say why they have introduced the new charges, but have emphasised that passengers can be dropped off for free in the long-stay car park half a mile from the terminal building.

A continuous shuttle bus service has been set up to ferry people between the long-stay car park and the terminal.

Coun Carter’s comments come after the council’s executive board asked council officers to draw up plans for a taxi rank on Whitehouse Lane.

But the Tory leader believes those plans do not go far enough.

“I believe the council should now immediately move ahead with not only providing a taxi rank at the side of the public highway on Whitehouse Lane, but also a drop-off area,” he said.

“The airport management are just having a laugh at our expense. They need to realise that the council has a number of options, and we should now press ahead with the two I have suggested.”

The YEP asked for a response to Coun Carter’s comments but the airport
 

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