By Don Mort, local democracy reporter
A public inquiry will start tomorrow into night-time flying rules at Leeds-Bradford Airport.
It will consider an appeal from airport bosses against a Leeds City Council planning decision which restricts certain types of aircraft from flying after 11pm.
The appeal will be considered by an independent planning inspector at a hearing which starts on Tuesday (March 11).
The Planning Inspectorate inquiry will consider three applications for Certificates of Lawfulness of Existing Use or Development (CLEUDS).
The certificates applied for by the airport seek a re-interpretation of the existing rules on the number of noisier aircraft allowed to fly at night.
A council spokesperson said: “All three applications were submitted by the airport in December 2023.
“The planning inspector will determine the appeals based on all evidence presented during the inquiry.
“Given that this is a live process, it would be inappropriate for the council to comment further.”
Last September the council issued an enforcement notice against LBA after it was found to have breached noise rules.
At the time Leeds-Bradford Airport (LBA) said measures were in place to stop noisy overnight flights. The company has insisted that it’s legal interpretation of planning conditions on night flights is correct.
Vincent Hodder, LBA chief executive, said: “The inquiry process will allow an informed decision to be made by an independent third party on the correct legal interpretation of the existing planning, so we can continue to deliver an airport Yorkshire can be proud of.
“We want to sustainably develop our airport, make it fit for the future and meet the demand for international connectivity that exists in our region.
“We want to play our part in driving economic growth in Yorkshire.”
Airport bosses, the council and campaigners from the Group for Action on Leeds-Bradford Airport (GALBA) are expected to give evidence at the inquiry.