Transport Minister Keith Hill has been urged to give the go-ahead for a direct rail link to Leeds-Bradford Airport.

A high-powered delegation to London - including Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood and chairman of the Airport Committee Councillor Tony Cairns - asked the Minister to take action as soon as possible on a link.

They will now write to the Minister formally after detailed discussions about how a link could be achieved.

One option examined was a line through Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, York and Newcastle.

The link might run directly into the airport at Yeadon.

Also on the delegation were Leeds Council leader Councillor Brian Walker and vice-chairman of the Airport Committee Denise Atkinson.

The airport is owned by the five main West Yorkshire councils - Leeds, Bradford, Kirklees, Wakefield and Calderdale.

Coun Greenwood said: "The Minister was extremely receptive to the idea and I am hopeful. There would be enormous benefits to the region, West Yorkshire, and Bradford."

The delegation comes as the Council presses John Prescott to intervene over controversial proposals for a new airport in South Yorkshire.

The Council is asking the Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions for a public inquiry into the plan at Finningley near Doncaster.

There are fears of the effect of the development on Leeds-Bradford Airport - and particularly its charter flights.

A new rail stop would be created in the airport by a rail spur off the Leeds line near Horsforth.

The option of a moving walkway linking the airport with a new station on the Harrogate Leeds line north of Horsforth, near the Bramhope tunnel, has also been looked at.

Coun Cairns said: "The airport approach is going to get worse because passenger numbers are going up and we estimate that we are looking at three million by 2011.

"There is no way we would want to build a road. This has to be the way environmentally and I understand there is a Government pot of funding for schemes like this."

e-mail: olwen.vasey@

bradford.newsquest.co.uk

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