Bath and North East Somerset Council has vowed to oppose the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport. The transport hub, which lies close to the border with North Somerset, is seeking to increase its capacity to serve 15 million passengers every year.
The intention to scale operations comes just 18 months after the airport was granted permission by the High Court to expand to accommodate 12 million passengers each year, a decision that had already faced opposition from local authorities.
The council, almost unanimously, has affirmed its stance against the new target of handling 15 million passengers. Deputy council leader Sarah Warren (Bathavon North, Lib Dem) challenged the supposed economic benefits of such an expansion, suggesting they're "grossly overstated" and could bring "economic disbenefits".
She said: "In our region, Bristol Airport mainly provides for outbound leisure travel translating into economic disbenefits for our domestic tourism industries. [...] Bristol Airport now plans to expand its operations by around 50% at the expense of local residents who will suffer from increased traffic at all times of day and night, aircraft noise, and pollution. Bristol Airport is big enough."
At a full council meeting on March 20, Chew Valley's Councillor David Harding (Liberal Democrat) highlighted local concerns over speeding in villages and disruptive parking linked to Bristol Airport. He depicted the facility as "a massive car park with an airport attached".
Mr. Harding also raised issues with the airport's ambitions to increase night flights from 4,000 to 5,000, pointing out: "Bristol Airport already has more night time flight breaches than Heathrow."
There are plans afoot for Bristol Airport to boost its yearly flights by 14,000 and extend the runway to accommodate larger transcontinental aircraft. Independent councillor Shaun Hughes of Midsomer Norton North mentioned the importance of balance in considering the expansion.
He urged for a thorough fact-based evaluation to be presented to the council. He emphasized the regional reliance on tourism, with Bristol Airport being essential for Bath's visitor economy, while also advocating for environmental considerations: "Our region relies heavily on tourism, with Bristol airport playing a key role in promoting Bath as a destination. [...] We must also consider the environmental impacts. Is it more sustainable for travellers to land in London and drive across southern England or to fly directly into the West Country."
In response, a spokesperson for Bristol Airport said: "The Airport is critical to our region’s economy and Bath’s tourism sector, welcoming hundreds of thousands of inbound visitors each year. We are our area’s largest private sector employer, providing over 5,000 jobs, with 70% of employees living within 20 miles.
"We recently completed the consultation on our draft Master Plan to 2040 and are busy analysing the helpful feedback we’ve received. A planning application to increase our capacity to 15 million passengers a year will be made in the coming months.
"We expect our proposals to deliver 1,000 additional on-site jobs and support many more in our region, boost economic growth, and allow us to connect to new destinations, including the Middle East and North America. We hope to be able to work with Bath and North East Somerset Council so that we maximise the economic benefits for our area.”
Meanwhile, Conservative Tim Warren from Midsomer Norton Redfield, although a user of the airport himself, endorsed the idea of the council rejecting the expansion proposal. He said: "Although I use Bristol Airport, I do think enough is enough now and its big enough."
The vote to oppose the airport's expansion was overwhelmingly supported, with 44 councillors in favour and none against, although there were two abstentions from Mr Hughes and Chris Warren (Saltford, Independent).
Steve Clarke of the Bristol Airport Action Network, a campaign group against the airport's expansion, spoke at the meeting as a public speaker, urging opposition to the plans. He expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating he was "delighted".
"B&NES have proved to be the leaders again in the fight against Bristol Airport," he said. "We really value their support and the fact that it was cross party."
While the decision on granting planning permission for the airport expansion lies with North Somerset Council, not Bath and North East Somerset Council, the latter will formally respond to the planning application to oppose the development. Following the motion passed by councillors, they have requested that the council leader write to government ministers and local MPs to communicate the council's stance.
The motion also calls for all candidates in the West of England Combined Authority elections to oppose the airport expansion. Oli Henman, the Liberal Democrat candidate for West of England Metro Mayor and a councillor for Walcot on Bath and North East Somerset Council, voiced his agreement: "I agree with the call from Bath & North East Somerset Council to oppose further expansion of Bristol Airport. The airport has not even completed its current expansion plans so any further expansion is premature."
He further highlighted the lack of sufficient public transport serving the airport, stressing the necessity for rapid mass transit. He warned: "We face a climate emergency for people and planet. Last year saw the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the Ƶ, and our area faces serious threats from flooding and storms. In this context, any expansion in air travel would lead to ballooning emissions and take us further into a dangerously heating world."
The West of England Metro Mayor election also features the following candidates:.
Helen Godwin (Labour).
Mary Page (Green).
Ian Scott (Independent).
Steve Smith (Conservative).
