A GROUP aiming to challenge the building of a new terminal at Leeds-Bradford Airport has launched a crowd-funding campaign to pay for a barrister.

Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (Galba) says the plans would lead to a huge increase in passenger numbers and carbon emissions.

The Green Party has also called the expansion plans to be ditched.

The airport submitted its planning application to build a new, state-of-the-art replacement terminal to Leeds City Council this week.

LBA received consent to expand its existing terminal in January 2019 and the airport’s current roadmap signposts a target of seven million passengers by 2030 up from the current four million.

Galba has so far raised £1,900 towards its £12,000 target.

The group says: “We are in the midst of a climate emergency caused by human activity and have very little time left to mitigate against the worst effects.

"In 2019 both Leeds and Bradford Councils declared climate emergencies. The increased emissions would use up the entire carbon budget of the city by 2026.

“As the council have conceded, aviation expansion is incompatible with addressing the climate emergency.”

Bradford Green councillors called for expansion at Leeds Bradford to be ditched in light of the expected reduced demand in aviation after the coronavirus crisis.

Councillor Martin Love, leader of the Green Party on Bradford Council, said: “Expanding airports is incompatible with meeting our climate targets. Both Leeds and Bradford Councils have declared a climate emergency which means they accept that radical action is needed if we are to avoid a climate catastrophe.

“The coronavirus crisis has changed things. Even aviation industry experts are saying that demand for air travel will remain low for several years because people won’t want to be in enclosed spaces.”

Chris Foren, chair of Galba, said: “Expansion would bring more noise for local communities, increased air pollution, more traffic congestion and pump much more CO2 into the atmosphere - making the climate emergency worse.

“We need to rebuild a healthy economy in Leeds. We don’t need an unsustainable development like this.”

Earlier this year, plans to expand Bristol Airport were rejected by North Somerset Council following protests that it would exacerbate the climate emergency and damage the health of local people.

As with many planning applications, there is only a period of three weeks for the public to make objections.

Mr Foren added: “It’s ridiculous to expect local people to read, understand and respond to such a lot of technical detail in just 21 days. This decision is extremely important for the future of the region - that timescale is completely unfair and unrealistic.”

To contribute to Galba’s appeal go to https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ and search for Galba.