Authorities in the West of England have voted to formally oppose plans to expand Bristol Airport.
The West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA) joint committee, which includes leaders of constituent councils Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset, have voted in favour of an opposition motion led by the region’s metro mayor Dan Norris.
In a break from his predecessor Tim Bowles’ support for the airport’s proposed expansion, Labour’s Mr Norris, who was elected in May, dubbed the expansion plans “badly-judged, badly-timed, and bad for our planet.”
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The announcement was made at a business breakfast with industry leaders and politicians, including Bristol mayor Marvin Rees and the leader of South Gloucestershire Council Toby Savage.
But Bristol Airport has hit back at the comments, saying it is "pioneering sustainability" and is working to help the region become a "global centre" for clean aviation growth.
Its proposals to increase capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers a year, which were rejected by North Somerset Council last year amid protests from environmental campaigners, are being supported by the CBI - one of the 海角视频’s biggest business organisations.
The airport is currently appealing the decision to refuse expansion, with a ruling to be made by independent planning inspectors as part of an ongoing public inquiry.
In a statement Bristol Airport said: “Bristol Airport is pioneering sustainability and aims to achieve net zero airport operations by 2030, while working with industry partners and providing funding to support the national target for net zero aviation emissions by 2050.
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"We are proud to be part of a region with some of the world’s leading aerospace companies and we are working with them and airlines to make Bristol Airport a testbed for new decarbonised technology. We aim for this region to be a global centre for clean aviation growth.
"Increased capacity at Bristol Airport will enable new connections for businesses and local residents, removing the need for some of the eight million air trips taken by South West residents using London airports each year.
"Our proposals are projected to add 800 jobs at Bristol Airport and up to a further 5,000 jobs regionally, bringing an estimated £430m to the economy of the South West of England and South Wales.”
WECA’s newly agreed opposition to the plans were agreed during a meeting at Watermore Primary School on Tuesday (September 21) and will now be submitted to the Government’s current planning inquiry.
Mr Rees was not at the meeting because of a prior engagement and sent deputy mayor Craig Cheney, who abstained from the vote.
Mr Norris said: “This vote sends an important signal to people living across the West of England that politicians are prepared to show moral leadership and listen to public opinion.”
The motion featured amendments including:
- recognising the need for a just transition to a greener economy that does not leave Bristol Airport workers worse-off;
- the importance of the wider aerospace centre of excellence at Filton to the region’s economy;
- skills base and industrial heritage;
- and ongoing efforts being pioneered locally by industry to decarbonise aviation, including through the Jet Zero initiative.
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Bristol Airport's chief executive David Lees said last year that North Somerset Council's refusal of planning permission risked “putting the brakes” on the future growth of the region.
In June, the airport announced a commitment to become carbon neutral by the end of this year and reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030, excluding aeroplane emissions.
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