Rejecting Leeds Bradford Airport plan will condemn us to a second rate international standing, it must be approved - Mark Casci

It is a British condition that occasionally rears its head whenever any big infrastructure project is raised.

The return on investment often is overshadowed in terms of the initial idea by cost and impact. In Yorkshire it has held us back too often. One only needs to look at the city of Leeds, the region’s largest, which is the biggest city in Western Europe to lack a mass transit system.

But what of getting to and from the city rather than around it?

This week Leeds City Council will face one of the biggest decisions it will likely ever do so on this score when it delivers its verdict on whether to approve or reject proposals for the largest upgrade Leeds Bradford Airport has contemplated in its near 100-year history.

Airport bosses want to demolish the 1960s-built terminal in its entirety and construct a brand new 34,000 sq ft terminal at a cost of £150m. If approved it could be operational within two years and significantly improve its ability to attract more carriers and destinations.

As it stands Leeds Bradford is, as one former chief executive there once described it to me privately, a ‘bucket and spade airport’ suited to delivering weekend breaks and summer beach holiday, things which that, while valuable, will only take the region so far.

The Leeds City Region is the country’s fourth largest economy yet its airport is only the 15th largest. Any individual or business looking to invest into the region will likely land in Manchester and catch the dilapidated train to the city – hardly rolling out the red carpet.

That the Leeds City Region does attract so much inward investment from around the world does its civic and business leadership enormous credit. But a fit-for-purpose and welcoming airport would significantly enhance this prospect as a region.

Covid has handed us a public health emergency the like of which we have not seen for decades and the economic shock that has accompanied it has not been witnessed in centuries.

In order to recover quickly, sustainably and fairly we need every boost we can have at our disposal. A third-rate airport is not going to help us, only hinder us.

I noted over the weekend that the plan has been recommended for approval which is hugely encouraging and shows that a thorough analysis of the business proposal has been undertaken.

I know what I am writing here will run counter to the views of many (some 2,000 objections to the scheme have been received by the council, although more than 1,200 have lent it their support).

Many of these objectors cite environmental objections and, while I may disagree with their opposition to the revamp, each and every one of them has my respect.

Air travel is a significant contributor to our climate emergency and many will point to the fact that the past 11 months have shown we can do business remotely without the need for travel.

It is here, however, where I must profoundly disagree. Video calls have their place and will likely be more of a feature of our lives in the post-Covid future but when it comes to doing deals and convincing investors there is no substitute for a face-to-face discussion. It is here where you find common ground, exchange ideas and establish trust. You cannot do this over Zoom.

Moreover, rejecting the plans will not ground flights, just shift them to other regions, causing needless car journeys and more pollution.

So it is in so writing that I beseech those on the planning committee to do what is right for our region and approve the airport’s plan in full. It would send a clear and powerful message that the region is no longer prepared to take third or fourth best but rather a seat at the top table with the world’s best.

Too many times in our recent history we have shot ourselves in the foot when it comes to connectivity. Let us end that record once and for all.

Let us end that record once and for all.