It will cost more than £900,000 to build a taxi rank near Leeds-Bradford Airport, councillors have been warned.

Leeds City Council’s executive board is looking at options of building a taxi rank next to the site amid concerns about current arrangements at the Yeadon airport.

Taxi drivers and passengers have been upset in recent months by a new £2 “kiss and fly” fee charged for any driver to use the airport’s forecourt drop-off facility.

An increase in the number of people parking illegally in Whitehouse Lane, which runs alongside the airport, has been noticed.

With a contract between the airport and Arrow Cars for the exclusive provision of service at the Yeadon site going on until 2014, councillors have been increasingly concerned about taxi access and use at the site.

But a report to the executive board, meeting on Wednesday says creating a new taxi stand along Whitehouse Lane could cost up to £905,000.

The report, by Andrew Hall, says £515,000 would be needed for “professional fees and the diversion of public utility equipment”, £325,000 for the excavation and disposal of contaminated materials, and resulting landfill tax and £65,000 for landscaping and customer waiting facilities.

Mr Hall says a previous public consultation revealed ward councillors for Otley and Yeadon and taxi owners and operators were supportive of a new taxi rank, but airport bosses did not support the option and had concerns about an adverse impact on future development plans.

The report says airport bosses have offered to alleviate concerns by extending a scheme under which, for an annual charge of £25, taxis and other customers can drop-off and wait for up to 15 minutes. They have offered to extend the drop-off period to 30 minutes.

Work to extend the terminal is being carried out and Mr Hall says the executive board could instruct officers to liaise with airport bosses about a forecourt management plan through a review being carried out as part of planning conditions.