Western Daily Press (Saturday)
No decision on airport scheme during summer
ADECISION on Bristol Airport’s plans to boost passenger numbers to 12 million by 2026 will be made in September at the earliest.
The proposals – which include 3,900 more parking spaces, improvements to the on-site road layout and a new transport interchange – have split opinion.
Some, like Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, say it will boost the economy, secure thousands of jobs and future-proof the West Country.
But opponents such as Bath and North East Somerset Council claim the expansion is incompatible with aims to tackle the “climate emergency”, and without infrastructure improvements will cause chaos on the region’s roads.
The plans are in the hands of North Somerset Council and leader Don Davies said a decision over the summer holidays would be hard to justify.
The authority currently has planning and regulatory committee meetings scheduled on September 18 and October 16, although with 466 documents and 2,822 comments to consider, there may be a special meeting.
The comments currently include 2,395 objections and 361 letters of support.
One of the latest objections warns: “Expanding the airport will be a decision that is cemented on the wrong side of history – and will be judged by generations to come as so.”
A supporter from Plymouth said: “Bristol airport is crucial for the growth of industry in general
throughout the South West, with the expansion of the airport it will allow business to expand and increase the employment and GDP of the local and surrounding communities.”
As well as members of the public, town, parish and other district councils have also weighed in.
Mr Rees has said the region will miss out on “an opportunity for thousands of new jobs in the next decade” if Bristol Airport doesn’t expand.
The airport said its new proposals will allow it to take the next step to becoming an international gateway which could serve up to 20 million passengers a year by the mid-2040s.
Somerset County Council backed the phased approach to growth of the airport, saying it will be of considerable benefit to the economy of the South West and the UK – subject to mitigation of significant local impacts.
All four unitary authorities in the West of England have declared climate emergencies – and B&NES Council has gone a step further and voted to oppose the airport’s expansion.
Cabinet members charged with addressing the issue are due to meet Cllr Davies next month to air their concerns.
B&NES cabinet member for climate emergency Cllr Sarah Warren said earlier this month: “Carbon pollution from aviation is one of the fastest-growing sources of the greenhouse gas emissions which drive global climate change.
“Increasing the capacity of Bristol Airport and therefore the number of aircraft flying in and out will exacerbate the problem and that goes against the commitment that we, and indeed North Somerset Council, have made to tackle climate change in declaring a climate emergency.”
B&NES Council has currently objected to the planning application on highways grounds and the “very real impact the increase in airport traffic will have on our nearby rural communities”.
The concerns were echoed by Backwell Parish Council, which said in its comment on the application: “The climate risks and transport and other infra-structure deficiencies must be ameliorated and measured, with the resulting data made public, before any future further expansion is even proposed.”
The plans include a new transport interchange with a coach and bus station, taxi ranks and a dropoff zone. Underneath, the multistorey car park would provide an additional 2,150 spaces.
Campaigners from the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion group claim the planned growth is driven by greed for more parking profits and warn that there will be health implications for everyone.
A petition by Bristol Rising Tide calling on North Somerset Council to prevent the “irresponsible” expansion has garnered more than 3,200 signatures.