By John Baron
Residents and campaigners from the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) will hold a protest in Horsforth against plans to expand the airport this evening.
They will give out leaflets to people going into a meeting at St Margaret’s Church, where LBA’s boss is giving a presentation on expansion plansand concerns over night flights. They will also hold a banner saying ‘We Need Our Sleep’.
LBA is hosting a series of meetings in areas surrounding the airport. LBA’s boss, Vincent Hodder, will give a talk seeking to present LBA as a ‘good neighbour’ and a ‘sustainable business’.
Ian Coatman, Horsforth resident and GALBA member, said: “Night time flying is bad news for anyone living under the flight path. The noise disturbance from night flights is a major cause of all kinds of serious illnesses, such as heart disease. Jet engines also release ultra fine particles which pollute the air we breathe and are linked to lung diseases. That’s why there are rules – to protect the public.
“No one is saying the airport should be closed. But it should stick to the rules and it should not expand. We should put local people’s health and wellbeing first.”
In March, a Public Inquiry was held in Leeds to consider LBA’s request to reinterpret the night flight rules so as to allow more planes to fly between 11pm and 7am. The Planning Inspectorate has not yet issued a decision.
Currently the airport is permitted 2,920 take offs and landings between 11pm and 7am during the summer.
GALBA say the airport has breached that limit in each of the past three years.
But LBA chief executive, Vincent Hodder says the rules, agreed by Leeds City Council in 1994, do not take into account changes to aircraft technology over the past 30 years to reduce noise.
The new terminal at LBS officially opened yesterday, marking the end of phase one of a £100 million expansion project.
The expansion include a modernised arrivals process, including a new baggage reclaim area and an upgraded passport control facility. There is also more seating and a broader food and drink offering.
Phase two will see improvements to the existing terminal.
Vincent Hodder, CEO, Leeds Bradford Airport said: “We are delighted to see our new terminal extension open and operational.
“It has been an incredible journey to get here, and we know our customers are going to get a completely new experience from LBA from today.
“It’s an exciting time for us too; for our employees, stakeholders and business partners, the opening of this building is a huge achievement for all involved.”
The airport says that by the time the project completes by the end of next year LBA will have: 38% more floorspace; 76% more retail space; 83% more seating; 77% increase in luggage reclaim belt capacity; 50% more security lanes.
Tonight’s public meeting is ticket only and all tickets have been taken.
- More Horsforth news and views from WLD can be found here.
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Never anything positive about the airport from west Leeds dispatch, if there a story why not do a positive one about the new terminal extension and one about the group that moans all the time, it’s really not that hard
Hi Jon,
Thanks for your comment.
I’d be happy to chat about our coverage of LBA in person. Feel free to pop by to our open newsroom session on Thursday (5-7pm) at Bramley Lawn Social Centre, off Rossefield Lawn, Bramley. I’ll pop the kettle on – look forward to seeing you there.
Kind regards
John Baron
Editor
Flights from London airports last year over 200 million and ALL recently given permission for huge expansion. Leeds Bradford less than 5 million and trying despite the constant negativity to give me region an economic boost. No wonder Southerners take the p1ss out of backward Yorkshire. We all know if airport had developed at other end of city nobody from the Leafy suburbs would care one jot.
While the airport kicked Boots out of the airport because they are charging so much rent and profits out of the margins that businesses do and so can’t make profit. Big bosses ripping off businesses. Plus charging customers double or more while flying from the airport.