Government to take planning decision on Leeds Bradford Airport expansion

Housing minister Chris Pincher has called-in proposals for a £150M expansion of Leeds Bradford Airport rather than letting the local authority decide on the matter.The move comes nine months after the government issued a direction that effectively put the scheme on hold by preventing Leeds City Council from formally granting approval without authorisation.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.Now a government spokesperson has confirmed that Pincher has called-in the application for determination by ministers. The spokesperson said a public inquiry would be held and details would be released in due course.Opponents have raised concerns that the expansion plans do not fit with the government’s climate agenda, while the airport has argued that the new proposals are more efficient and sustainable than existing expansion plans they replace.