Leaders to oppose airport plans
Political leaders in the West look poised to heap pressure on independent planning inspectors by formally opposing Bristol Airport’s proposed expansion.
North Somerset Council last year rejected the airport’s bid to expand and a public inquiry in front of three inspectors is currently hearing its appeal against that decision.
But in a surprise intervention, West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris is tabling a motion at a special meeting of the West of England Combined Authority’s (Weca) joint committee, which he leads, that would scrap its previous endorsement of the plans.
Labour’s Mr Norris, who succeeded Conservative Tim Bowles at May’s local elections, is calling on the leaders of the four local councils who sit with him on the committee – Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East
Somerset (B&NES) and North Somerset – to “show moral leadership” on the climate emergency and vote in favour.
And it looks set to be approved after B&NES Lib Dem leader Cllr Kevin Guy, who is seconding the motion, and North Somerset Council’s leader, independent councillor Don Davies, said they would back it. It is not known how South Gloucestershire Council’s Tory leader Cllr Toby Savage or Bristol’s Labour mayor Marvin Rees will vote at the meeting on Tuesday, September 21.
Both recently championed the airport’s claim at a business breakfast that it would become net zero by 2030, although this does not include plane emissions.
But the joint committee decision will be by a majority vote of the five members, so the motion will be carried if Mr Norris and councillors Guy and Davies support it as expected.
This would follow the lead of B&NES and Bristol City councils, which passed motions in 2019 and 2020 respectively opposing the expansion.
However, it is hard to say how much – if any – bearing it may have on the current public inquiry into the airport’s appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against North Somerset Council’s decision to refuse permission for the proposed increase in passengers from 10 million to 12 million a year.
The inquiry, in front of lead inspector Philip Ware and inspectors Claire Searson and Dominic Young, started hearing evidence in late July and is expected to sit until mid-october.
Mr Norris said: “We are in the midst of a climate and biodiversity emergency.
“The vast majority of people across North Somerset, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire know this and are rightly extremely concerned.
“The global pandemic has drastically shrunk the amount of air traffic. Meanwhile extreme climate emergency events are seeing super high temperatures, fires, floods and melting sea ice around our fragile planet.
“I believe these deeply concerning phenomena have fundamentally changed the way most of us think about air travel now and in the future.
“We need to remember Bristol Airport has not hit its previous passenger targets. So now is certainly not the time to seek to expand Bristol Airport’s flight numbers even further.
“That is why I am seeking to change the West of England Combined Authority’s official position.”
He said initial indications were not positive that all four of the region’s council leaders would back the motion.
But Mr Norris said: “I am an optimist and believe people can shift their positions. So I’m calling on the local leaders to show moral leadership and courage and do what is right.”
Cllr Davies said he would “wholeheartedly support” the motion once he had clarification that it referred to opposition of the existing proposed expansion being considered by the planning inspector.
Cllr Guy said: “Airport expansion is fundamentally incompatible with local councils’ commitment to tackling the climate emergency.”
A South Gloucestershire Council spokesperson said: “The planning decisions in relation to Bristol Airport are a matter for North Somerset Council.
“We are extremely proud of and will continue to support South Gloucestershire’s world-class aerospace industry.”
The Bristol mayor’s office has not yet commented.