GALBA protest outside Leeds Civic Hall

GALBA tells Leeds City Council to immediately stop unlimited, unauthorised night flights

Local residents will join members of the Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport (GALBA) to protest in front of Leeds Civic Hall at 10am on Wednesday 22 April. They want Leeds City Council to stop unlimited, unauthorised night time flying at LBA.

GALBA has recently received a Legal Opinion from a leading planning law barrister about the Council’s powers. It says the Council can immediately use a power it already has to ensure that all the aircraft using LBA at night are counted towards the cap on night flights. That would allow the Council to take enforcement action if the airport exceeds the night flight cap in future.

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.”

“Of course, LBA should just ask the Council to approve their planes. By refusing to do that, LBA is dodging the night flight limit and every year flying hundreds more night flights than the limit allows.”

Under LBA’s current planning permission, there is a set of operating conditions. One of those conditions gives a power to Leeds City Council to 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, the Council can take action to enforce the rules.

Ian Coatman, GALBA’s Secretary, said: “LBA has broken the night flight rules for four years running and the Council has done virtually nothing about it. Just once the Council gave the airport a slap on the wrist after GALBA made a complaint but then did nothing for the next three years when LBA carried on breaking the rules.”

“If it was me or you who repeatedly broke planning rules, do you think we’d be treated so leniently?”

“Excessive night time noise is not just a bit of an inconvenience, it’s a serious public health issue. 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?”

NOTES

GALBA’s Legal Opinion: you can read this in full here. It was produced by Estelle Dehon KC, from Cornerstone Barristers. Estelle Dehon was named Barrister of the Year at the Lawyers Awards 2025.

Leeds City Council’s power: there is a provision in LBA’s planning condition 6c, which was agreed between LBA and Leeds City Council. It is reproduced in GALBA’s Legal Opinion. Condition 6c allows the Council to approve night time flying by LBA’s newer generation of planes, which make up the great majority of planes using LBA.

Following the decision of the Public Inquiry in 2025, those planes are currently not lawfully permitted to fly at night. As a result, they are effectively exempt from the cap on night flights, set out in Condition 7 of LBA’s planning permission. LBA is seeking to make that exemption permanent in its current CLEUD application.

Health impacts of night noise and ultra-fine particles (UFPs): GALBA has summarised the latest medical research into the health impacts of night time noise, frequent sleep disturbance and UFPs from aircraft engines.