Metro mayor told to stop backing airport growth

A council cabinet member is demanding the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) abandons its support of Bristol Airport’s expansion.

Bath & North East Somerset Cllr Sarah Warren says the stance is “incompatible” with its newly launched climate emergency action plan, which Weca committee members approved on Friday.

The combined authority, comprising B&NES, Bristol city and South Gloucestershire councils, insists action to tackle climate change is embedded in everything it does, including a coronavirus recovery plan aimed at bolstering businesses, jobs and skills. But it supports the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport, which has appealed to a planning inspector against a decision by North Somerset Council to refuse permission, while B&NES Council opposes it.

Weca committee members were told they were not taking the crisis seriously enough, despite declaring a climate emergency last year with a commitment for the region to be net carbon zero by 2030.

B&NES cabinet member for climate emergency Cllr Warren told the meeting: “What you’ve said is great but it doesn’t express to us the timescales and degree of what we have to achieve, which is a huge amount in a very short amount of time. I’d encourage you now to go even further.” She added: “Your plans to develop green business are to be applauded but we need to link these plans to your skills training package and work with government to provide the necessary support and incentives for homeowners and landlords to retrofit every home in the region.

“Above all, Weca needs to change its position supporting the expansion of Bristol Airport, which is simply incompatible with its declaration of climate emergency and the ecological emergencies declared by all of Weca’s constituent authorities.”

B&NES Council leader and Weca committee member Cllr Dine Romero said: “The action plan’s not as ambitious as it could be and I’ll continue to push us to be more ambitious.”

North Somerset Council leader and West of England Joint Committee member Cllr Don Davies said:

“It’s all very well talking about a green recovery but I don’t see immediate evidence of doing that.”

Metro mayor Tim Bowles said Weca’s Covid-19 recovery plan, which aims to kickstart the region’s economy, and climate emergency plan were closely interlinked

“These two pieces of work really do need to be joined up to provide both the opportunities to seize the new initiatives and make sure we really do build back better and cut our emissions,” he told the meeting. “Both plans support the significant investment we’re committed to across innovation, public transport, cycling and walking, supporting businesses and residents’ transition to low-carbon ways of doing things.”

The climate emergency plan was criticised by Weca overview and scrutiny committee members last week for not having clear enough targets.