LBA Support Group – Statement on Leeds/Bradford Airport's Planning Application
The proposed plans for a new terminal for Leeds Bradford Airport make absolute economic sense. The areas surrounding the airport will benefit from the construction of a new terminal at a time when jobs are at significant risk due to the impact of Covid-19, providing an immediate boost to the local economy.
LBA serves two of the largest cities in the UK, (Leeds being the UKs 3rd largest city by population) and the majority of the wider Yorkshire region, yet it lags behind in 15th place by passenger throughput, being one of the smaller regional airports. It has spent many years trying to make up lost ground on competing airports due to continual under-investment by previous owners (in particular the local councils), which has left Yorkshire's main airport reliant on dated, cramped and inefficient facilities originally built in 1965. In addition, LBA has been required to comply with operational constraints that are significantly more restrictive than at other airports. Together these factors have left it trailing well behind in terms of its terminal facilities and available air services.
The current terminal, which has been enlarged via a succession of extensions over the past 55 years, is woefully inadequate, something highlighted frequently by passengers using the airport. Previous plans for a major terminal expansion have already been APPROVED by Leeds City Council, enabling growth to 7m passengers per year by 2030. This growth, which is NOT changing as a result of the terminal application, is in accordance with the LBA Development Plan, the Leeds City Council Planning and Economic Policy, and the Government's own aviation policy. However, whilst a terminal extension would improve the facilities considerably, in particular relating to arriving passengers, this scheme does not fully address all the current inadequacies, including disabled access, nor does it enable LBA to meet ever more stringent CAA security requirements. Crucially, it also fails to provide the option of carbon neutrality.
Currently, a high proportion of passengers originating within the LBA catchment area are travelling to Manchester or other airports for their flights. This leads to huge numbers of additional car journeys, further traffic congestion and even greater levels of CO2 than would be the case if those same passengers used flights available locally from LBA. Such flights and the nearby location of the airport they operate into is a key factor considered by businesses when deciding where to locate or who to do their business with in the UK. The absence of these flights to and from LBA therefore negatively impacts on the Leeds City Region's ability to attract investment and puts it at a disadvantage in comparison to other UK city regions.
The LBA Support Group understands that Leeds City Council has implemented a “climate emergency” policy, and whilst we agree that there should be a commitment to reducing carbon emissions generally, this needs to be done at national and international level, ensuring a level playing field with neighbouring regions and, crucially, their airports. The CO2 emission target set by Leeds as part of their declared 'Climate Emergency' does not include aviation emissions, which are set nationally by Government, and any increase arising from growth to 7m passengers per year by 2030 at LBA will not therefore impact on the achievement of this target, contrary to claims made by anti aviation groups. Nevertheless, LBA is demonstrating a determination to further drive down its CO2 emissions by investing £150m of private funding in the development of a terminal which will be Carbon Neutral, BREEAM Excellent, and matched only by Heathrow Terminal 5 in the UK for efficiency and green credentials.
The aviation industry is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2050. It must be noted that global CO2 emissions from aviation amount to 2%, whilst other sources such as fossil fuel heating, shipping, clothing manufacture, cement manufacture, road traffic and electricity production all account for a greater proportion of those global emissions. UK Aviation accounts for just 6% of the UK's total CO2 emissions with only a very small proportion of that originating at LBA. As such we feel the aviation industry and in particular LBA at this time, is being unreasonably targeted by climate activists. Claims that the terminal development is to enable growth are inaccurate as this growth has already been approved 2 years ago by Leeds City Council, and these levels of growth are not impacted by these plans. This is an opportunity to reduce the CO2 emissions at LBA via a carbon neutral terminal together with carbon offsetting measures which are proposed by the airport to compensate for aircraft emissions. The new terminal also enables the handling of more up to date, cleaner and quieter aircraft types which the present terminal does not have the facilities to handle.
If LBA is unable to pursue its plans for a new, carbon neutral terminal, it has the option to proceed with the already approved plans, enabling the same 7m passenger throughput by 2030, but with terminal facilities which will never be carbon neutral or meet all of today's exacting standards. Construction on that scheme was started but put on hold in favour of this enhanced scheme, but can be continued at any time in line with planning legislation.
This is a significant opportunity to provide Leeds, Bradford and the entire region with an airport terminal that leads the way, and sets the standards by which other airports will be judged in the future. We therefore urge Leeds City Council to approve this application and enable the economic recovery of the city and region in the post Covid 19 era, whilst at the same time, securing the future of its airport and the many jobs it supports.
LEEDS BRADFORD AIRPORT SUPPORT GROUP - STATEMENT RE TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION 20/02559/FU
END
Leeds Bradford Airport Support Group Press Release
Free to reuse and redistribute
Find us online at: www.forums4airports.com
Find us on twitter: @Forums4airports
#SupportLBA
The proposed plans for a new terminal for Leeds Bradford Airport make absolute economic sense. The areas surrounding the airport will benefit from the construction of a new terminal at a time when jobs are at significant risk due to the impact of Covid-19, providing an immediate boost to the local economy.
LBA serves two of the largest cities in the UK, (Leeds being the UKs 3rd largest city by population) and the majority of the wider Yorkshire region, yet it lags behind in 15th place by passenger throughput, being one of the smaller regional airports. It has spent many years trying to make up lost ground on competing airports due to continual under-investment by previous owners (in particular the local councils), which has left Yorkshire's main airport reliant on dated, cramped and inefficient facilities originally built in 1965. In addition, LBA has been required to comply with operational constraints that are significantly more restrictive than at other airports. Together these factors have left it trailing well behind in terms of its terminal facilities and available air services.
The current terminal, which has been enlarged via a succession of extensions over the past 55 years, is woefully inadequate, something highlighted frequently by passengers using the airport. Previous plans for a major terminal expansion have already been APPROVED by Leeds City Council, enabling growth to 7m passengers per year by 2030. This growth, which is NOT changing as a result of the terminal application, is in accordance with the LBA Development Plan, the Leeds City Council Planning and Economic Policy, and the Government's own aviation policy. However, whilst a terminal extension would improve the facilities considerably, in particular relating to arriving passengers, this scheme does not fully address all the current inadequacies, including disabled access, nor does it enable LBA to meet ever more stringent CAA security requirements. Crucially, it also fails to provide the option of carbon neutrality.
Currently, a high proportion of passengers originating within the LBA catchment area are travelling to Manchester or other airports for their flights. This leads to huge numbers of additional car journeys, further traffic congestion and even greater levels of CO2 than would be the case if those same passengers used flights available locally from LBA. Such flights and the nearby location of the airport they operate into is a key factor considered by businesses when deciding where to locate or who to do their business with in the UK. The absence of these flights to and from LBA therefore negatively impacts on the Leeds City Region's ability to attract investment and puts it at a disadvantage in comparison to other UK city regions.
The LBA Support Group understands that Leeds City Council has implemented a “climate emergency” policy, and whilst we agree that there should be a commitment to reducing carbon emissions generally, this needs to be done at national and international level, ensuring a level playing field with neighbouring regions and, crucially, their airports. The CO2 emission target set by Leeds as part of their declared 'Climate Emergency' does not include aviation emissions, which are set nationally by Government, and any increase arising from growth to 7m passengers per year by 2030 at LBA will not therefore impact on the achievement of this target, contrary to claims made by anti aviation groups. Nevertheless, LBA is demonstrating a determination to further drive down its CO2 emissions by investing £150m of private funding in the development of a terminal which will be Carbon Neutral, BREEAM Excellent, and matched only by Heathrow Terminal 5 in the UK for efficiency and green credentials.
The aviation industry is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2050. It must be noted that global CO2 emissions from aviation amount to 2%, whilst other sources such as fossil fuel heating, shipping, clothing manufacture, cement manufacture, road traffic and electricity production all account for a greater proportion of those global emissions. UK Aviation accounts for just 6% of the UK's total CO2 emissions with only a very small proportion of that originating at LBA. As such we feel the aviation industry and in particular LBA at this time, is being unreasonably targeted by climate activists. Claims that the terminal development is to enable growth are inaccurate as this growth has already been approved 2 years ago by Leeds City Council, and these levels of growth are not impacted by these plans. This is an opportunity to reduce the CO2 emissions at LBA via a carbon neutral terminal together with carbon offsetting measures which are proposed by the airport to compensate for aircraft emissions. The new terminal also enables the handling of more up to date, cleaner and quieter aircraft types which the present terminal does not have the facilities to handle.
If LBA is unable to pursue its plans for a new, carbon neutral terminal, it has the option to proceed with the already approved plans, enabling the same 7m passenger throughput by 2030, but with terminal facilities which will never be carbon neutral or meet all of today's exacting standards. Construction on that scheme was started but put on hold in favour of this enhanced scheme, but can be continued at any time in line with planning legislation.
This is a significant opportunity to provide Leeds, Bradford and the entire region with an airport terminal that leads the way, and sets the standards by which other airports will be judged in the future. We therefore urge Leeds City Council to approve this application and enable the economic recovery of the city and region in the post Covid 19 era, whilst at the same time, securing the future of its airport and the many jobs it supports.
LEEDS BRADFORD AIRPORT SUPPORT GROUP - STATEMENT RE TERMINAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION 20/02559/FU
END
Leeds Bradford Airport Support Group Press Release
Free to reuse and redistribute
Find us online at: www.forums4airports.com
Find us on twitter: @Forums4airports
#SupportLBA
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