Two Leeds Bradford Airport car park planning inquires launched
16.03.11
A council planning inspector was told to refuse permission for two car parks near Leeds Bradford Airport as an over-supply of spaces would harm sustainability plans, the Telegraph & Argus reports. On the first day of two planning inquiries heard at the same time, Scott Lyness, a barrister representing the airport, said allowing appeals for permission for the off airport car parks would cause fewer people to use public transport.
The airport is the main objector to two companies appealing against separate decisions by Leeds City Council against their car parks. Austin Hayes, who runs the Sentinel car park, which has been operating up to 2200 spaces near the airport without planning permission for more than ten years, is appealing against a non-determination by the Council for full planning permission. Learmonth Property is also appealing a Council decision to refuse a separate application for an off-site car park on the former Avro site at the Airport Industrial Estate.
Both car park operators say one of the reasons the Council refused their applications is because they do not fall in line with a Surface Access Strategy drawn up by the authority and the airport to increase passengers’ use of public transport. But Stephen Sauvain QC, for Austin Hayes, said no official weight should be given to the strategy and the fact the Sentinel car park has been operating so successfully for so long suggests it should be given permission. He added that passengers using the car park was better for the environment than if they were dropped off at the terminal, a process known as ‘kiss and fly’, as only one round trip would be taken instead of two.
Andrew Williamson, for Learmonth Property, told planning inspector Philip Asquith the airport’s claim it would lose ‘control’ of parking in the area does not amount to much of a reason for rejecting the applications and that competition is good for the consumer. Ian Ponter, for the Council, which is also objecting the applications, said an over-supply of parking spaces outside the airport would increase the proportion of journeys to the site by car (we assume because it would reduce the cost of parking to a level that it would be as attractive as public transport).
The inquiries are expected to last 3 weeks, with a decision some time after.Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
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