The Leeds trolleybus scheme has been blocked by Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin after a planning inspector rejected the case for the project.

The Government has promised that the £173m contribution it was to make to the scheme will still be spent in the city.

After a full public inquiry, the independent Planning Inspector produced a detailed report which said the Leeds Trolleybus system is not suitable for development. We have carefully considered the findings and accepted the clear recommendation. We are disappointed the local authorities cannot proceed with the Trolleybus but £173 million of DfT funding will be retained so the right public transport scheme in Leeds can be developed as quickly as possible. We will now fully support Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority on those next steps as the government continues to invest in Yorkshire and helps deliver the Northern Powerhouse. Department for Transport statement

The Department for Transport also said: