A politician who could have a powerful voice in the Bristol Airport expansion plans has clarified her stance on the proposals.
The airport is looking to accommodate 15 million passengers a year with an extended runway and routes to the US and the Middle East.
The plans come just two years after the transport hub triumphed in a high court case against campaigners, securing permission to expand to 12 million passengers per year.
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Recently, Bristol City Council passed a motion opposing the airport's expansion, but the final decision rests with North Somerset Council, which will determine whether to grant planning permission.
In 2020, North Somerset councillors rejected the proposal for expansion to 12 million passengers per year, only for their decision to be reversed following a challenging planning inquiry.
However, this time around, West of England Metro Mayor Helen Godwin could play a pivotal role in the decision-making process. Despite North Somerset Council not being part of the West of England Combined Authority, it has expressed interest in joining.
Concurrently, the government is considering granting metro mayors the power to call-in or direct refusal of significant planning applications of potential strategic importance through its Devolution Bill.
In response to a written question from Janet Grimes, raised at a meeting of the West of England Combined Authority Committee regarding Bristol residents' concerns about the Mayor's reported support for airport expansion, Ms Godwin said: "The airport has yet to meet its current passenger numbers cap or submit a planning application for further expansion to North Somerset Council, who I hope will join our regional authority in the not-too-distant future so we can work even more closely together.
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"Local people's voices need to be heard in the planning process, particularly so soon after the Planning Inspectorate's decision in 2022."
"It's true that Bristol Airport supports a great many jobs in our region, and is a major driver of economic growth. We also face an unprecedented climate emergency and all want to help our planet, with a need for green innovation in every sector including aerospace.
"And everyone across the West knows that much more has to be done to help people get to/from the airport on public transport, which recent record transport funding from the government could help unlock.
"In the meantime, new laws being put forward in Parliament look set to provide regional mayors with new powers on planning. Mindful of that responsibility, my approach, now and in the future, will be to carefully consider the details of individual planning applications at the appropriate stage, looking at all the evidence."
When questioned by Mary Collett about whether protection of the planet would take precedence over economic development, including the "environmentally damaging" expansion of Bristol Airport, Ms Godwin responded: "I want to see the West leading the way on both economic growth and environmental progress, and don't think that those goals are mutually exclusive. That will be my ambition for our region as mayor."
Planning committee councillors exercise independent judgement when voting, basing their decisions on non-political planning factors.
However, such determinations may face challenge if deemed inconsistent with established planning policy.
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A central dispute regarding the expansion to 12 million passengers annually concerned whether environmental considerations could justify rejecting the airport's proposals.
Bristol Airport's legal team successfully contended at the High Court that the council ought to assess solely the environmental consequences of terminal buildings and ground transport - excluding aircraft emissions from consideration.