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

On the 3rd December 2020 the Environment Secretary announced plans to ban live exports following Britain’s departure from the EU. This ban is dependent upon the result of an eight-week consultation, beginning today, which seeks views on ending the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening where the journeys begin or transit through England or Wales. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-55167473 Due to this awful trade, animals must endure excessively long journeys, and frequently experience pain, exhaustion, stress and overcrowding. Having campaigned to put an end to this suffering for over 50 years, we are delighted to hear that the Government plans to ban live exports at long last. Echoing our sentiments exactly, George Eustice, Defra Secretary of State, called the trade a “cruel and unnecessary practice”, in a press release on the announcement.

10/12/21 FINALLY, A WIN FOR WILD ANIMALS After decades of campaigning and years of waiting, Born Free welcomes UK Government plans to end the legal import of trophies from hundreds of wild animals, shot for ‘fun’. Read more here: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/uk-trophy-import-ban

Thanks to the people of Barry and wider Vale of Glamorgan we have managed to convince the Vale of Glamorgan Council to drop their plans for the commercial development of Porthkerry Country park. I was proud to help co-ordinate the campaign and will remain vigilant to ensure this vital natural park remains a home for our local wildlife. Thanks for your support.

12/12/17 - We Won! Great news! Michael Gove, the Environment Minister has drafted a new law to specifically recognise animal sentience. The result of our campaign is fantastic news, this will keep standards of animal welfare, at the high levels we have come to expect, from a nation with a reputation for compassion and care. I am grateful to the Government for listening to us, and I think we should all be very proud of this achievement. - Dave Babb - Petition Starter Sky news say: "Mr Gove has been forced to act after social media campaigns by 38 Degrees, Compassion in World Farming and other groups targeted Conservative MPs, calling on them to reverse their vote against recognising animal sentience." The bill proposes ministers "must have regard to the welfare needs of animals as sentient beings in formulating and implementing Government policy". Unveiling his plans after visiting Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Mr Gove claimed: "As we leave the EU we will deliver a Green Brexit, not only maintaining but enhancing animal welfare standards...Animals are sentient beings who feel pain and suffering, so we are writing that principle into law and ensuring that we protect their welfare." Thank you so much to everyone who signed and shared the petition! Read more here: https://news.sky.com/story/government-draft-tougher-animal-cruelty-laws-after-sentience-row-11167159

We Won! 28/03/18 The government today announced that they are going to introduce a bottle deposit return scheme! Congratulations to the hundreds of thousands of people that have campaigned to help make this a reality! 38 Degrees blog post https://home.38degrees.org.uk/2018/03/28/bottle-deposits-we-won/ BBC news http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43563164

Thanks to you the campaign was a success and the buildings have been saved! We haven't stopped there, working with architect John Burrell we have devised a scheme to bring the buildings back into use, addressing Kings' concerns, and improve the urban environment around them. We are preparing the scheme as a publication of several drawings that will be distributed in hard copy and as an e-brochure in September. Please see the front cover of the alternative scheme here: https://savebritblog.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/saves-alternative-scheme-for-the-strand-site-with-architect-john-burrell/

03/04/14 - I am pleased to announce that today, Mendip District Council have refused the application to fell the Frome Plane Tree. Thank you all for signing the petition - 2,744 signatures of support undoubtably made a difference - amounting to around 10% of Frome town's population. Well done also to those 80 of you that made a direct objection to the council, as that is the forum they really have to listen to.

Buglife is delighted to confirm that the London Resort project has officially been terminated. This decision follows a High Court ruling to liquidate London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) due to financial and contractual disputes, bringing an end to a decade of uncertainty and environmental concern. The High Court’s ruling not only signals the definitive end of the London Resort plan but also lifts the shadow of doubt that has loomed over local businesses and the community for years. It ensures that this critical natural space remains safeguarded for future generations. Furthermore, the Planning Inspectorate has held LRCH accountable for its "unreasonable behaviour" throughout the planning process, awarding legal costs to a number of organisations, including Buglife, National Highways, Kent Wildlife Trust and others. This recognition of wasted resources underscores the importance of due diligence and respect for environmental regulations in major development proposals.

We won, achieving legislative change