Successful Campaigns

STOP PRESS - DECEMBER 2024 GALBA (Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport) is STILL fighting LBA's attempts to expand. So far, we’ve been incredibly successful in our five-year l battle. We have managed to block LBA at every stage of their expansion plans. But now LBA’s bosses have asked the government’s Planning Inspectors to overturn restrictions on night flights, at a Public Inquiry to be held in Leeds in March 2025. If LBA win they will be able to fly an UNLIMITED number of planes at night. Increasing night time flying is central to the airport's expansion plans. The reason is simple: unlimited night flying allows airlines to fly more of their planes round the clock, which means they can dramatically increase the number of flights at the airport. That’s what LBA’s appeal to the Planning Inspectors is all about. More night flights would mean more greenhouse gases from jet engines, polluting our fragile climate, when everyone knows we have to cut emissions as fast and as much as possible. The Climate Change Committee has repeatedly said that airports should not be allowed to expand because there are no large scale alternatives to the fossil fuels used to fly aircraft. OUR ORIGINAL CAMPAIGN We have successfully petitioned the Secretary of State to hold a public inquiry into the expansion of Leeds Bradford airport so that the full national impact of airport expansion can be assessed. The Public Inquiry was due to start on September 13th 2022. But Leeds Bradford Airport pulled out. Since then GALBA has been fighting expansion on many fronts. Here are some of the things we have achieved: We succeeded in calling for a public inquiry into the original planning application – causing LBA to withdraw its application. We achieved this win by using every tactic available to us, including the very best legal advice, an enormous public petition and a letter-writing campaign. We exposed hundreds of unlawful night flights at LBA over the past three summers. We were only able to do this because our dedicated and expert team literally logged every single arrival and departure at the airport – an extremely time-consuming and laborious process. Our hard work paid off because we were able to prove that the airport was not telling Leeds City Council the truth about night flight numbers and the Council was not independently monitoring them. We persuaded Leeds City Council to turn down the airport’s attempts to rewrite the rules that limit the number of night flights. This was a huge blow to the airport and we believe it only came about because Leeds City Council was not able to argue with our relentless monitoring and the detailed legal arguments that we presented to them. During this time we have kept our campaign at the top of the agenda. We’ve made politicians and the public take notice with a series of high profile demonstrations, letter-writing campaigns, petitions, fundraisers and media appearances. Why is this important? As we stand on the brink of climate and ecological breakdown, airports throughout the UK are trying to expand. Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Stansted, Manston, Southampton, Luton and Gatwick are pressing ahead with expansion plans. Supporters of each expansion claim that the increase in carbon emissions is small in a national context. However, the cumulative impact would be a huge increase in emissions at precisely the time we should be doing everything in our power to reduce them. Leeds Bradford Airport expansion is a test case. The local authority has approved expansion, claiming that carbon emissions from international flights is not a matter for local authorities to consider! So we have called on the Secretary of State, Robert Jenrick, to order a public inquiry so that the climate impact of expansion can be assessed in a national context. This is not just about Leeds-Bradford. Approval of this application would open the floodgates of expansion at other regional airports. The government must intervene to stop the planned expansion of regional airports if it is to meet legally binding environmental targets and avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. You can hear it from the experts. Over 200 Leeds Uni Academics already agree. https://www.galba.uk/post/press-release-246-uni-of-leeds-staff-and-researchers-ask-robert-jenrick-to-call-in-lba-decision Most importantly please share with your friends and family. Tell them why this matters so much to you. Thank you from GALBA - Group for Action on Leeds Bradford Airport

Thank you to everyone who signed and shared our petition, helping us reach over 11,000 signatures! It has now been handed in to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall.

The white paper was published! But there is still work to be done https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/26/gambling-uk-white-paper-online-casinos

We won, as DWP agreed to our recommendation.

SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF

The council have removed this proposed cut from the budget. The animal park is now safe for 4 years. Now we need to see investment in the park to keep it going for the next generation.

Government pulled the bill yesterday.

09/01/24 - We did it! Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells has bowed to our 1.2 million strong petition and will hand back her CBE with immediate effect. She said she was “truly sorry for the devastation caused to the subpostmasters and their families” and that she as continuing to support and co-operate with the inquiry into the scandal. She added: “I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect.” David Smith, who started this petition said: "Thank you to each and every person who has signed this petition. It has been a catalyst for action allowing us to have a voice and is hopefully a first historic step on the path to the victims of the Post Office scandal getting the justice they deserve." “To me, the removal of the CBE is just the start. The ultimate goal is for the subpostmasters to get the justice they deserve. In many ways, this is symbolic, but it is a massive symbol." “What I’m hoping is that as soon as somebody as senior as her is held accountable at this level, it will start a domino effect that will lead to the justice and compensation that everyone affected deserves.” You can read more about the story here https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2024/01/09/post-office-scandal-win-paula-vennells-hands-back-cbe-but-fight-for-justice-goes-on/ In other news a new petition has been started calling for Alan Bates to be honoured for his role in exposing the Post Office scandal. You can sign that here https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/give-alan-bates-a-cbe-for-exposing-post-office-scandal

14/06/24 - We won! Post Office hero Alan Bates – who has led a 20-year campaign to expose the Horizon computer system scandal – is to receive a knighthood in the King's Birthday Honours! This follows over 100,000 of us signing this petition calling for his tireless effort to be recognised. Read more about it here: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/kings-birthday-honours-alan-bates-33030192