Millions of pounds are set to boost the district's coffers after Bradford Council agreed to put Leeds Bradford Airport on the market.

Yesterday saw special meetings of the executive and full council in which Bradford voted to sell its 40 per cent stake in the regional transport hub.

Bradford became the final shareholder to back the sell-off despite a last-ditch bid to delay the deal by the Labour group.

The other West Yorkshire authorities which jointly own the airport - Leeds, Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield - had already voted to sell their shares.

The deal could be completed by April and is thought to be worth more than £100 million.

The deputy leader of the Council, Dale Smith, insisted yesterday's decision was not forced on the authority by the other four partners already agreeing to the sale.

He said: "I must emphasise that the order of these decisions is a matter of timing and people must not get the impression that Bradford is pushing through a decision.

"We have taken this decision looking at hard commercial realities.

"We wish to see the airport move into the 21st century. Any minority shareholding would bring with it the requirement to provide additional capital - capital which we simply do not have."

Amid claims of "political posturing" both Labour and the Greens attempted to push through changes to the Council's recommendations last night.

Deputy Labour group leader Councillor David Green (Wibsey) claimed Leeds Council was the instigator for a sale and questioned how Bradford's interest could be best served without a proper debate.

"The decision for sale was made by the Conservatives in Leeds and when they contacted Kris Hopkins (Bradford Council leader) he didn't stop to look at the implications of the sale, he simply said how high?" he said.

"It may be right to sell the airport or it may be the biggest mistake we make.

"We are being forced to do it quite simply on an electoral timetable not on an economic timetable. That's the bottom line."

He accused the Conservatives of "selling out the people of the district".

And Green group leader Councillor Martin Love (Shipley) asked for the cash from the sale to be spent purely on environmentally sustainable transport projects in the district - something described as "beyond imagination" by Coun Smith (Wharfedale).

The Tories, Liberal Democrats and the British National Party all voted for the sale. Labour said no and the Greens abstained.

Accountants Ernst and Young were consulted over the sale and told the five authorities there is "significant appetite" in the market at the moment.

They recommend a February deadline for bids and that the airport's name remains the same.

A preferred bidder and a reserve bidder would then be selected.

The cost of taking on Ernst and Young is to be met by the eventual buyer.

e-mail: jo.winrow@bradford.newsquest.co.uk