- 14 September 2019
Bristol Airport expansion cycle protesters halt A38 traffic near airport entrance
The new local group, opposed to expansion of Bristol Airport, partly on grounds of carbon emissions but also due to noise and other local impacts, has held a protest cycle ride. The group of about 70 cyclists met up close to the airport and then cycled in convoy along the busy A38. They temporarily brought roads around the airport to a halt in a protest against expansion plans, by riding in convoy to the airport and then repeatedly cycled around a roundabout close to the entrance. The lunchtime protest caused queues of between two and three miles in both directions. Unbelievably, the airport tries to claim its expansion to 12 million annual passengers by the mid 2020 will cut CO2 – as slightly fewer people would drive to London airports, if they fly from Bristol. They would in fact just fly more. The group support taking the “flight free pledge” not to fly in 2020, as a way to get people to think more carefully about travel and their lifestyle choices. The airport has submitted plans for the expansion and North Somerset Council is expected to decide on the expansion later this year.
.
Tweet
Bristol Airport expansion protesters halt A38 traffic
The group met up close to the airport and then cycled in convoy along the busy A38
Cyclists temporarily brought roads around Bristol Airport to a halt in a protest against expansion plans.
About 70 people rode in convoy to the airport and then repeatedly cycled around a roundabout close to the entrance.
The lunchtime protest caused queues of between two and three miles in both directions.
The airport said its “sustainable development” would mean fewer car journeys to London airports,.
Organiser Oz Osbourne said the group wanted to show the opposition to plans for the airport to cater for 12m passengers by the mid-2020s.
He said he had not flown for 20 years and was urging other to take the “flight-free pledge” for 2020.
“If you join the flight-free pledge then it changes the way you think about who you are… and [you’ll] have a greener lifestyle.
Once there protesters repeatedly pedalled around the roundabout outside the terminal entrance
An airport spokesman said flights “were operating as normal” but advised passengers to allow extra time for their journeys.
It has submitted plans for the expansion and North Somerset Council is expected to decide on the expansion later this year.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-49703184.
.
Local group:
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion
The Canadian owners of Bristol Airport want to increase passenger numbers by 50%, from 8 million to 12 million passengers per annum. Further growth to 20 million passengers is in the pipeline.
Airport expansion will lead to:
- Increased greenhouse gas emissions that exceed other carbon savings
- Gridlock on congested approach roads
- Noise pollution day and night affecting health and well-being
- Green belt destruction and other environmental harm
- Parking sprawl as on-site and illegal field parking spreads
- Airport expansion does not provide significant benefits to the region. Only the overseas owners will profit.
http://www.stopbristolairportexpansion.org/
.
.
See earlier:
Crowdfunding appeal: Bristol Airport is Big Enough – Help Stop Further Expansion
Bristol Airport plans to significantly increase its passenger numbers, to grow eventually to 20 million passengers per year from a current level of 8.6 million. A group of environmental campaigners and local residents are raising money – through crowdfunding – to fund an important legal challenge to the airport’s planning application, that is being dealt with by North Somerset Council. The group hopes to employ a well respected barrister, Estelle Dehon, who is expert in environment and planning law (with particular expertise in climate change matters). She would be able to legally analyse the 400 plus planning documents on the application, on the Council’s planning website, and offer campaigners and the committee expert evidence for refusal. Estelle has previously worked on the Plan B fight against Heathrow’s third runway. The coming decade is absolutely critical in averting the climate crisis that is upon us. Yet, that same decade is to be used by Bristol Airport to increase the carbon emissions of flights using the airport, by over 500,000 tonnes per year. In addition to the carbon issue, many people in Bristol would be exposed to a range of air pollution substances, including NO2 and black carbon – as well as increased noise nuisance.
Click here to view full story…
.
.
.