Why Leeds Bradford Airport revamp must be backed to protect jobs – Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Martin Elsworth, Leeds Bradford Airport Support Group.

DURING 2019 there were 2,770 onsite employees at Leeds Bradford Airport The number of people whose livelihoods rely on the airport is significantly higher when you consider offsite employers whose businesses benefit from the airport.

I worked at the airport between 2000 and 2015 and I witnessed the effects on the aviation industry of the 9/11 atrocities. I saw the effects of “mad cow disease” and the worldwide economic crash.

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The aviation industry, including Leeds Bradford Airport, has demonstrated how it can bounce back after economic trauma.

Should Leeds Bradfrod Airport's redevelopment be given the green light by Leeds city councillors this week?Should Leeds Bradfrod Airport's redevelopment be given the green light by Leeds city councillors this week?
Should Leeds Bradfrod Airport's redevelopment be given the green light by Leeds city councillors this week?

Let’s not forget, Jet2 launched its first ever flight less than two years after 9/11 and is now a significant Leeds employer, both on site at the airport and off site in the city centre.

Like many cities, Leeds is suffering the impact of a shift to online shopping, with the high street retail industry in decline, possibly irreversibly. The people of Leeds need opportunities.

All this at a time when the airport owners, AMP Capital, are wanting to invest £150m of private money into Leeds’ infrastructure, which will benefit the entire city through inward investment and job creation.

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I understand how important the airport is for so many people whose livelihoods depend on it.

Should Leeds Bradfrod Airport's redevelopment be given the green light by Leeds city councillors this week?Should Leeds Bradfrod Airport's redevelopment be given the green light by Leeds city councillors this week?
Should Leeds Bradfrod Airport's redevelopment be given the green light by Leeds city councillors this week?

It is absolutely paramount that the airport gets full planning permission on March 11 to secure these jobs and for future employment opportunities.

From: Ross Bailey, Bramley, Leeds.

MANCHESTER, Doncaster-Sheffield and Teesside regions all recognise the importance of a good airport. After years of under-investment, the current 1960s-built facility at Leeds Bradford falls short of what it should be; insufficient seating, poor toilet facilities, cramped, confusing layouts, inadequate security and baggage reclaim facilities and very poor disabled facilities.

A failure to not approve will mean a further decline of LBA, resulting in more job losses. At a time when so many jobs have been lost, surely it’s vital this opportunity is taken to create new employment and kick-start our economy?

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LBA will play a vital part of that recovery as it brings in a significant amount of GDP to the city and region. This would substantially increase with the planned development.

Approval will not only ensure existing jobs are maintained, but many more will be created in the construction industry, jobs within the airport terminal itself and further job roles in the aviation industry.

As a Leeds resident, I am proud of my city. Please do not let us down and leave us with an airport that nobody wants to use. Our airport is every bit as important as other transport facilities in the region. I really hope we do not have to return to the days of having to travel over the M62 to Manchester simply to catch a short-haul flight.

The decision taken on Thursday will determine our future. Please ensure that the future is positive and the future of Yorkshire’s airport is secured by giving full approval to this planning application.

From: Jane Thewlis, Bradford.

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CONTRARY to your Tingley correspondent’s assertion (The Yorkshire Post, February 27), Friends of the Earth are well aware of pension funds’ fiduciary duty.

That is why they are drawing attention to the current and increasing financial risk of continuing investments in fossil fuel companies.

The smart money now is investing in renewables and sustainable new technologies. As a pensioner, I am worried about the financial risk to my pension due to climate change. Last year, research showed that £211m was wiped off the West Yorkshire Pension Fund due to its oil investments crashing over the past three years.

That’s about £740 per member. That is why I want my pension fund to make a plan to move its investments away from the fossil fuel companies that are exacerbating climate change.

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Continuing to invest in these companies is a financial risk, and is also destroying the environment for future generations.

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