'No to more night flights': Climate campaigners hold rally as Leeds Bradford Airport row intensifies
Residents rally against Leeds Bradford Airport night flights application
A climate campaign group gathered in Leeds city centre today as the row over unauthorised night time flying at Leeds Bradford Airport intensified.
Local residents joined members of the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) to protest in front of Leeds Civic Hall on Wednesday, where they called on Leeds City Council to stop unlimited, unauthorised night time flying at LBA.
It comes after the airport submitted a new CLEUD (Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development) application to Leeds City Council in relation to the operation of night movements.
Under LBA’s current planning permission, Leeds City Council approve different types of planes, allowing them to fly lawfully at night. Once approved, those planes are counted towards the limit on the number of planes allowed to fly at night. If the limit is exceeded, council can take action to enforce the rules.
Nick Hodgkinson, Chair of GALBA, explained: “At the moment, we’re in a bizarre situation. Leeds City Council has never given legal approval for night time flying by most of the planes that actually do fly at night. Absurdly, this means that when those unauthorised planes fly at night, they are not counted towards the limit on the number of night flights. In other words, they can fly in unlimited numbers.
“Our Legal Opinion is 100% clear that Leeds City Council can simply approve those planes right now. Sadly, the Council has not done this. To be clear, the Council’s power is completely separate from LBA’s current CLEUD application.
“I'm pleased to say that the Council has now agreed to meet with us. We’re looking forward to it because the latest reason the Council has given for doing nothing is different from the previous reason they gave us. We really hope we can find out what’s going on when we meet.”
The CLUED application, branded “irresponsible” by GALBA members, was announced on February 16 and seeks to establish the lawfulness of take-offs and landings at the airport at night by certain types of aircraft.
According to GALBA, the application aims to replace the night-time flying cap, with an annual ‘noise quota count,’ plus increasing unrestricted daytime flying hours by 90 minutes, meaning there would be no limit on the number of take-offs and landings between 6am and 11.30pm.
They estimate that summer season night flights could rise from 2,800 to well over 7,000, which they believe represents a serious risk to public health.
“Excessive night time noise is not just a bit of an inconvenience, it’s a serious public health issue,” Ian Coatman, GALBA’s Secretary, said.
“If your sleep is frequently disturbed, you’re at greater risk of suffering heart problems. What’s more, jet engines release tiny particles that pollute the air and are linked with lung disease.”
“There’s plenty of medical research to back up what I’m saying. Why isn’t the Council taking responsibility for the health of its own residents?”
Leeds Bradford Airport is currently permitted to operate a number of aircraft arrivals and departures between 11pm and 7am. The restrictions are over 30 years old and airport bosses say they place LBA at a competitive disadvantage compared to other UK regional airports.
The airport is seeking permission to operate more night flights in a bid to attract more travellers and last year celebrated the opening of its brand-new terminal building, featuring enhanced seating capacity, plus multiple new food and drink options and two premium lounges.
It coincides with the launch of LBA’s ‘Together for Tomorrow’ sustainability initiative, which formalises the airport’s holistic approach to being a responsible business, a supportive employer, and a good neighbour while leading the region’s transition to low-carbon aviation.
A Leeds Bradford Airport spokesperson said: “LBA remains committed to operating within the parameters of our existing planning permissions and maintaining a regular, constructive dialogue with Leeds City Council. Compliance with all regulatory frameworks is a priority for the airport, hence why we continue to work closely with Leeds City Council to ensure all processes are followed correctly.
“We submitted an updated CLEUD application in February which is under consideration by Leeds City Council. The decision on the CLEUD will form part of a well informed planning process drawing on current planning legislation and it would therefore be inappropriate to comment further at this time.
“LBA continues to value its relationship with the local community and remains focused on delivering the economic and travel benefits associated with a regional airport while managing our environmental and operational responsibilities.”
Following the outcome of the public inquiry held in Spring 2025, it is LBA’s intention that the new CLEUD application will formalise the Planning Inspector’s decision into local planning law.
Operating differently to a planning permission, the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 gives local planning authorities discretion in certain circumstances to issue a call for evidence from third parties - including members of the public - when dealing with an application for a CLEUD.
Leeds City Council previously issued the airport with an historic enforcement notice in September 2024 after they were found to have breached noise rules. Two of three subsequent appeals were dismissed.
An authority spokesperson said: “The council is in the process of determining a recent Certificate of Lawful Existing Use or Development (CLEUD) application from Leeds Bradford Airport. It is both important and appropriate that this application is determined prior to any consideration of aircraft - as is being suggested by GALBA - potentially being authorised to fly at night, in line with condition 6(c) of the airport’s current planning permission.
“We recognise that planning issues relating to the airport are often the subject of much public interest, and we work hard to deal with them in an efficient, timely and legally compliant way. The council can confirm that it has agreed to meet with members of GALBA to discuss their concerns over night-time flying at the airport.
“Given the live nature of the CLEUD determination process, it would be inappropriate at present for us to comment further.”
Decisions on CLEUD applications are made purely on the basis of relevant factual evidence assessed against a legal test and all public submissions must relate to the period covered by the airport’s evidence, which is January 1, 2010, through to December 31, 2019.
People who believe they have factual evidence relevant to the airport’s application are asked to email the information - including any verifying details - to the council at [email protected] no later than March 25.