Leeds Bradford Airport scraps expansion plans following backlash

The airport’s chief executive Vincent Hodder announced that the £150M expansion plans were being pulled in response to the “excessive delays” and the decision to hold a public inquiry into the development.

Instead the airport will focus on extending the existing terminal building, plans for which were approved by Leeds City Council in 2019.

The £150M expansion plans for the airport – including a new terminal building – have caused controversy since their inception in 2020.

Housing minister Chris Pincher called-in the proposals in January, after environmentalists, locals and MPs lobbied against the council’s original decision to grant planning permission.

The expansion plans were submitted to the council in May 2020 for construction of a three-floor 34,000m² building to replace the existing terminal on an alternative site within the airport’s boundary. Images of the proposed terminal were released a few months later.

The controversial expansion plans were initially approved by the council last February after councillors heard evidence from 24 individuals opposed to the scheme, and six who supported it, during an eight-hour meeting.

Opponents raised concerns that the expansion plans did not fit with the government’s climate agenda, while the airport argued that the new proposals are more efficient and sustainable than previous expansion plans that they replaced.

Hodder said: "I would like to thank everyone who has supported us in the planning process, from the general public to the business community and councils across Yorkshire.

"Whilst this is a setback for our airport and region, we remain committed to investing in LBA to be an outstanding, decarbonised, modern airport for the future."

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin added: "It's important that people don't have to travel to Manchester to do business. International students don't have to come from Manchester then drive or get on the train to come here.

"International businesses know that we have an airport. I was really excited by their plans for the terminal expansion because it was going to be zero carbon."

Pressure has been ramping up for all UK airport expansions to be paused. Last month, research by the New Economics Foundation revealed that emission clean up costs from departing flights at the eight airport expansions underway across the UK have more than doubled to £73.6bn.

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