Bristol campaigners ask Government to step in on airport decision
of the South West (GOSW) to step in and refer the decision on the airport’s plans
to the Secretary of State.
which would result in a direct decision from Government, or a public inquiry,
because they believe that the ramifications of the decision, such as the impact
of increased traffic, noise and carbon emissions, stretch beyond North Somerset
Council’s area of control.
area’s needs for business and leisure, they strongly believe that the incremental
benefits associated with this massive expansion would be far outweighed by the
extremely detrimental impacts on local communities, the environment and the local
tourism economy.
request for a call-in. Both Bristol City and B&NES councils are opposed to
BIA’s expansion plans.
Burn said:
as it now stands but its growth in recent years has also been extremely damaging
to its neighbours and the environment.
plans for new urban extensions for some of the same reasons we’re opposed to BIA’s
plans, such as traffic congestion and building on Green Belt land. However, we
believe that because the uncertainties, impacts and scale of this application
are so immense and extend far beyond North Somerset’s borders, this application
should be referred to the Secretary of State.
least capped at 8 million passengers a year, with no further development until
improvements in public infrastructure are delivered and greenhouse gas emissions
can genuinely be reduced in line with the Climate Change Committee’s report aimed
at limiting aircraft emissions to 2005 levels."
expansion plans, I do not believe that it would be appropriate for North Somerset
Council to decide this application. The expansion of the airport would have significant effects beyond its immediate
locality."
authorities have objected, as have local Health Authorities and a large number
of Parishes, NGOs, and the public
growth of more than 60% over 2005 levels, invalidating previous Government policy
(Air Transport White Paper, 2003) supporting massive regional airport expansion. Clarification is needed by the Secretary of State to allocate how much expansion
can happen at every UK airport
in place and currently delayed
out.
on the grounds that: local roads are already severely overloaded and quality of
life in local villages is already severely blighted by increasing noise, traffic
congestion and air pollution; there will be huge increases in carbon emissions;
proposed solutions to mitigate these problems are completely insufficient; all
balanced against a complete lack of evidence that further growth of the airport
will produce any significantly increased economic benefits and much evidence that
airport growth across the South West has damaged the region’s tourism industry.
24 Parish Councils in B&NES and North Somerset district, the Campaign to Protect
Rural England and Friends of the Earth local groups.
07854 444609.