LIKE many people, whilst I welcomed the government announcement about a new link road to Leeds Bradford Airport, I was disappointed that the feasibility study did not recommend a rail link outright. At the moment, accessibility to the airport by public transport is poor from all parts of the city region and as others have said, the case for a rail link is overwhelming.

It turns out that the consultants who carried out the study did not favour the prospect of new rail track being laid, considering that there were too many buildings in the way. But what seems to me to be a sensible solution would be a new Parkway Station, located around one mile north of Horsforth station at the southern portal of Bramhope Tunnel. This would make use of the existing infrastructure and resources on the Harrogate line, which already runs very close to the airport, making it highly cost effective.

I was pleased to see that the minister responsible recently confirmed in Parliament that a rail link had not been ruled out and agreed to take another look at the matter. But ultimately this is a decision that needs to be taken locally, and I would urge the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to look seriously at the alternative proposals on the table. A major transport hub like the airport simply needs a rail link and we need to work together to make that happen.

Councillor Paul Wadsworth Guiseley & Rawdon Ward