A CONSULTATION meeting to discuss expansion plans at Leeds Bradford Airport has been attacked for a perceived lack of 'genuine' engagement.

Rawdon Parish Council chairman, Councillor John Davies, has written to the airport's chief executive, John Parkin, to complain about the event, claiming there was no intention of properly engaging with the community.

Cllr Davies said: "Indeed, even the timing of the event, towards the end of the consultation period and at 4pm, when many people could not attend due to work commitments, implied this was merely a gesture towards the idea of consultation."

He alleges the audience was lectured to and he said questions had to be submitted in writing and were therefore vetted by the airport team.

Cllr Davies added: "As a parish council, we are disappointed that a significant opportunity for the airport to engage in a positive manner with local communities has been missed.

"Indeed, the impression given was the opinions and needs of the local communities were of no consequence.

"Rather than being given factual information as to why the airport needs to be expanded, we were instead simply told of the airport’s intention to expand, and there was clearly no intention to properly engage with the community.

"Recent history of the fluctuations of routes and airlines operating from the airport would seem to undermine many of the aspirations that were set out for the airport up to 2030 and hence shed doubt upon their achievability in the absence of any supporting evidence."

But airport bosses deny the claims.

Mr Parkin said about 60 people had attended the Outer North West Community Committee event, at which the airport was invited to present and answer questions about its draft Masterplan – the route to 2030.

“At the end of the presentation, the 21 questions submitted by attendees were answered individually and they have all been included as part of the feedback gathered through our consultation process," he said.

"Leeds Bradford Airport has been transparent and genuine during our consultation period. Copies of the Masterplan have been available on our website and at 15 different locations across the region since March; we have also conducted various presentations about the Masterplan, one of which was to the airport’s consultative committee."

He added: "I am confident the airport has provided a good and fair opportunity for a two-way engagement process to take place."

The Outer North West Community Committee chairman, Cllr Paul Wadsworth, also denied questions were vetted and said all written submissions were answered at the meeting.

He added: "In organising the meeting, we did our best to arrange an appropriate slot within the airport’s consultation period, taking account of everyone’s availability and the need to book a good venue in Yeadon Town Hall.

"I would like to thank everyone who did come along. I think it was definitely worth us holding the event and trying to spread awareness about these very significant proposals."