NEARLY 80 West Yorkshire community groups, environmental organisations and councillors from all parties have urged the decision on Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) to be ‘called in’.

Signatories of the letter to Robert Jenrick, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, include Bradford councillors, Shipley Constituency Labour Party, Thornton, Allerton and Sandy Lane Branch Labour Party, Keighley and Ilkley Green Party, Bradford Green Party, Clean Air Bradford, Bradford Green New Deal, Baildon and Shipley Friends of the Earth, Extinction Rebellion Bradford, Shipley Town Council and more.

The Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) has asked the Secretary of State to hold a public inquiry because they say “there are significant effects beyond LBA’s immediate locality and there is substantial cross-boundary and national controversy; these issues have not been adequately addressed by Leeds City Council; and airport expansion conflicts with national policies on important matters”.

Chris Foren, Chair of GALBA, said it is right to call in the decision on LBA.

“The extra pollution and noise from LBA expansion would hurt climate and our communities,” he said.

Earlier this month, Alex Sobel, who represents Leeds Northwest, where the airport is based, asked Whitehall to call in the decision made by Leeds City Councillors this month to approve the £150m new facility due to huge concerns about the effect of extra flights on the environment.

In response to the letter to the Secretary of State, an LBA spokesperson said: “Approval by Leeds City Council for LBA’s replacement terminal was made on the basis of detailed economic and environmental reports, with members recognising the value of the thousands of jobs that will be created and the substantial impact on our region’s economy, contributing significantly to the Government’s levelling up agenda and plans for improved connectivity.

“This application is not about expansion, but about achieving what we already have consent to do in a more sustainable way, building cleaner and greener infrastructure for the future and making use of regional runway capacity.”

The spokesperson added: “Development will make LBA an outstanding net zero airport with a much-improved passenger experience, connecting Yorkshire with other parts of the country and the world for business and tourism.”

A Leeds City Council spokesperson said the authority would not be making a comment at this time.