Airport expansion Inquiry to begin later this month
ALONG-AWAITED public inquiry into major expansion plans for Bristol Airport will be held this month.
The inquiry – to decide whether the airport can increase passenger numbers from 10 million to 12 million a year – is due to start on July 20 and last 10 weeks.
The airport appealed against a decision by North Somerset Council last year to reject its expansion plans.
Bristol City Council has also opposed the expansion, and North Somerset Council says it will “robustly defend” the appeal.
Campaigners say any expansion of the airport would lead to congested roads, increased noise and more pollution from the proposed growth in flights.
A number of campaign groups, including the Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), the Parish Councils Airport Association and Stop Bristol Airport Expansion, are all set to give evidence at the inquiry.
Planning inspectors have agreed the inquiry will be what was described as a ‘blended’ event, with some people present in person at Weston Town Hall to give evidence and other participants joining remotely via Microsoft Teams.
The blended event comes despite Bristol Airport asking for the inquiry to be held completely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. North Somerset Council had also previously raised concerns about people attending the event in person due to the risk of Covid-19 infection.
But following a meeting last week of those involved in the inquiry, it was decided to have a blended event.
The inspection team will be led by Philip Ware.
A spokesman for BAAN said: “Thankfully the planning inspectors, led by Philip Ware, were unanimous that the event would be fully blended, with the opportunity for the public to make their views known by either attending in person or by using remote technology.
“Mr Ware made it clear that all persons wanting to speak would be heard and that no one would be turned away.”
Members of the public wanting to have their voices heard at the inquiry should email the inquiry manager, Joanna Vincent, at Joanna.Vincent@gateleyhamer. com with a summary of what they want to say and whether they want to attend in person or remotely via Microsoft Teams.
North Somerset Council rejected the airport’s plans in February last year.
Nearly 9,000 local people objected to the expansion on the grounds of increased noise and traffic chaos they felt the expansion would bring.
There was also strong opposition on the grounds of the additional greenhouse gas emissions that more flights would produce as well as the loss of green-belt land as additional parking spaces were created.