UK Government delays decision for £150m redevelopment of LBA

The UK Government has delayed the final decision for the £150m redevelopment of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) in West Yorkshire, UK.

The Leeds City Council had conditionally approved the plans to demolish the existing buildings and build a new terminal in February.

The latest move follows Leeds Bradford Airport’s announcement regarding the submission of revised plans for its new terminal to meet the airport’s rising passenger numbers last January.

The government’s decision was delayed after the environmental campaigners stated that the expansion would contribute to climate change.

However, the airport stated that the construction of a new terminal was not an expansion as it could already expand passenger numbers with its existing facilities.

It also noted that the replacement building will be a more efficient and sustainable development, which will help to achieve its carbon net-zero goals by 2023.

The Guardian reported Leeds Bradford Airport spokesman as saying: “We acknowledge the deadline extension and hope the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government will uphold the Leeds City Council’s approval for our replacement terminal, which will deliver thousands of new jobs and support the region’s economy.

Our proposals will deliver the UK’s most efficient terminal building, enabling us to become a net-zero airport, building back better and enhancing connectivity within the UK and internationally.”

It estimates that the project will support approximately 12,650 permanent jobs across the Leeds city region and create nearly 850 construction-related jobs.

The people supporting the project stated that it would deliver a cleaner, greener terminal building to promote an estimated increase in passengers from 4 to 7 million people annually by 2030 as reported by The Guardian.