Campaigners’ plea as Leeds Bradford Airport decision only days away

Campaign group GALBA has claimed its letter has received support from MPs, councillors and climate scientists, as a final decision is expected this week on plans to rebuild the terminal and runway to increase capacity for flights.

A total of 114 West Yorkshire MPs, councillors, climate scientists and community organisations have signed the open letter calling for Leeds City Council to prevent airport expansion

The signatories include four of Leeds’s five Labour MPs, as well as numerous constituency and branch Labour parties. A total of 20 climate academics, most from the University of Leeds, also lent their signatures to the letter.

The letter reads: “In a few days, 13 Leeds councillors will make a decision that will affect the lives of the people of West Yorkshire for generations. These 13 people make up the committee that will say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to Leeds Bradford Airport’s planning application – designed to increase passengers from four million a year to seven million by 2030.

“Expansion would mean health damaging increases in noise, traffic and air pollution for thousands of people in our local communities. Above all, it would mean a huge increase in greenhouse gas emissions exactly when we need to cut them to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis – expansion would be fundamentally wrong.”

A report set to go before Leeds City Council’s decision-making city plans panel suggested the plans should be approved, adding that a more eco-friendly terminal building meant Leeds would benefit from lower emissions.

But campaigners say the emissions from extra flights at the airport would dwarf any environmental benefits gained from a more energy efficient facilities.

The letter added: “Leeds City Council has declared a climate emergency and aims to reach net zero carbon by 2030. Yet from 2030 onwards, aircraft from an expanded airport would pump out more greenhouse gases than the whole of the rest of the city.

“Allowing LBA to expand would immediately make the council’s own net zero target impossible.

“The Covid crisis has exposed how vulnerable we are as individuals and as a society. The climate crisis will be far worse – unless we make the right decisions now.”

The letter concluded by urging councillors to follow the example at Bristol and Uttlesford councils, which rejected expansions at Bristol and Stanstead airports.

Prominent names on the letter include MPs Hilary Benn (Lab, Leeds Central); Alex Sobel (Lab, Leeds Northwest); Richard Burgon (Lab, Leeds East); Fabian Hamilton (Lab, Leeds Northwest), while deputy leader of Wakefield Council Jack Hemingway, and the Leeds TUC also added their support.

Chris Foren, chair of GALBA, said: “There’s a huge groundswell of support for this campaign. People understand that we have to act now so we can all have a better future. The biggest ever opinion poll about the climate emergency, which asked 1.2 million people across the world for their views, found that two thirds of people understand the threat and want their politicians to take urgent action. We’re asking our local politicians to accept that mandate and choose to protect our climate.”

Leeds City Council’s City Plans Panel will meet to discuss airport plans on Thursday, February 11.