The airport told employees it would make a “very significant” loss this financial year and its position was “unsustainable”. It said passenger numbers had plunged from more than 870,000 in May 2019 to just 874 in the same month this year. The airport has now started a 30-day consultation with staff over the redundancies. Dave Lees, chief executive of Bristol Airport said: “It is with much regret that we are having to make the announcement which will impact on our people during this difficult period. However we need to ensure that we are making the right decisions to protect the future outlook of the airport.
Bristol airport news
Protesters against the expansion of Bristol Airport still “have eyes on” the airport and its impacts
Protesters against the expansion of Bristol airport made it clear they still “have eyes on” the airport, at a demonstration on 22nd June. Members of Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), Extinction Rebellion and the local community joined forces on a roundabout at the airport’s entrance to tell the world they are still watching – despite plans to expand the airport being approved. The network has been campaigning against expansion proposals for over four years, during which time the application was refused planning permission by North Somerset Council before the government stepped in to overturn the decision. A further appeal was rejected by the High Court in January this year, giving the airport the greenlight to expand from 10 to 12m passengers per year. Local people say they are already experiencing problems caused by increased flights, night flights, more traffic on rural roads and traffic congestion. Protesters are concerned about extra carbon emissions and the building of a multi-storey car park on local greenbelt land. Despite their pleas being ignored, protesters want the authorities to know they will continue to hold the airport to account.
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Appeal Court rejects application by BAAN to appeal against Bristol Airport expansion decision
In January the High Court ruled that the airport’s major expansion plans could go ahead following a lengthy legal battle, but local group Bristol Airport Action Network appealed against the decision. Now that appeal has been “refused on all grounds”. by the Court of Appeal. A ruling found that there was not “real prospect of success” of the challenge and no other compelling reason for to allow it. The airport plans to expand its maximum capacity from 10m to 12m passengers a year, had initially been refused planning permission by North Somerset Council in January 2020. The airport’s owner Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan later appealed to the Government, and the decision was overturned by the Planning Inspectorate in February 2022. BAAN has been fighting ever since, and commented that “The airport can now expand by an extra 2 million passengers a year, build a multi-storey car park on Greenbelt land, massively increase the number of summer night flights and congest the local roads with an extra 10,000 cars a day.” As well as hugely increase its carbon emissions. BAAN says “the planning system concerning airport expansion has been rigged by the government to ignore the climate crisis.”
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High Court has ruled that expansion of Bristol Airport will be allowed to go ahead – BAAN to appeal
Campaigners against the expansion of Bristol airport legally challenged the decision of the Planning Inspectorate (PI), a year ago. The High Court has now ruled that the expansion can go ahead. North Somerset Council rejected the expansion in 2020 on environmental grounds but that decision was later overruled by the PI. Expansion would see the airport increase its capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year. Opponents of the growth, through the Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), are very disappointed, but are already planning on challenging the ruling. BAAN has been arguing planning inspectors were wrong to ignore the impact a bigger airport would have on climate change. In his decision Lord Justice Lane said expanding the airport would impact the environment but that the decision is for central government not local. There is no proper law on UK aviation, or any legal means to control cumulative CO2 emissions from many airport expansion. The Climate Change Committee say there are big risks in the airline industry hoping for low carbon fuels in future, and recommend that “there should be no net expansion of airport capacity”.
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Bristol Airport court case is test for Sunak’s green credentials, and test case for other airport expansion plans
The decision on whether Bristol Airport should be allowed to expand has faced a court challenge. Carla Denyer, the co-leader of the Green Party, has commented that this case has huge significance for the future not just of Bristol and the South West, but for the whole of the UK. Despite the expansion application being rejected by North Somerset council, in February of this year, the Government’s Planning Inspectorate overruled the public mandate and the views of local councillors, all the surrounding councils, the West of England Combined Authority, the local MPs and the vast majority of the local residents. The expansion of Bristol Airport would be catastrophic. The carbon emissions from the expansion alone will equate to an extra 1 million tonnes of CO2 per year. That’s double the annual carbon currently emitted by all the rest of Bristol’s transport. It is a nationally important test case for whether carbon emissions and the UK’s legally binding environmental targets can carry weight in planning decisions. Up to 20 other regional airports have plans to expand, and are waiting and watching this Statutory Appeal closely.
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Bristol airport expansion decision legal challenge – it would hinder UK climate goals
There has been a high court hearing in Bristol, about the possible expansion plans of the airport, from 10 to 12 million annual passengers. Campaigners are challenging the decision of the Planning Inspectorate to allow expansion, even though it had earlier been refused. Lawyers for Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) argued the decision did not properly take into account the full environmental impacts of the increase in flights and ignored local climate policies. Bristol Airport Ltd first announced plans to expand in 2018. North Somerset council refused it planning permission in February 2020, citing the inevitable rise in carbon emissions as well as the increase in road traffic, loss of green belt land for parking, and rise in noise and air pollution. Then the airport operator appealed to the Planning Inspectorate (PI), which overturned the local decision in February 2022 after a 10-week inquiry. The climate issue is made difficult, by the absence of proper policy on aviation carbon for all of the UK, ignoring the cumulative impact of numerous airport expansions. It does not take into account local carbon budgets, or the non-CO2 climate impacts of aviation. There are also legal challenges under way, of the government’s inadequate “Jet Zero” strategy.
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Bristol Airport campaigners send video to Canadian teachers over expansion plans
Environmentalists trying to stop the expansion of airports in Bristol, London City and Copenhagen have stepped up their campaign – SOFAX (Stop OTPP Funding Airport Expansion) – with a direct message to the people who ultimately own all those airports – teachers in the Canadian province of Ontario. They have their pensions in the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan – or OTPP. See the video (6mins 30)The campaigns from Bristol, around London City Airport and 3 others around Europe, are directing their campaign at the 329,000 teachers and former teachers who work or worked in state schools in Ontario. They pay money into the OTPP, which years ago bought airports including Bristol and London City, as money-making investments. Both airports are trying to expand, increasing flights and carbon emissions. The new campaign has been organised by the UK’s biggest teachers union – the NEU – along with community and medical campaigners who live around the five airports owned or part-owned by OTPP. SOFAX is appealing to pensioners of OTPP to consider the local health and educational impacts of airports on children, as well as the climate impacts – making life in coming decades more uncertain.
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High Court hearing granted on the Bristol Airport expansion ruling
Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) campaigners have been given permission to go to the High Court to appeal against the expansion of Bristol Airport. The date is still to be set. A judge has decided that BAAN raised arguable grounds following the Planning Inspectorate’s (PI) decision to permit expansion of annual capacity, from 10 to 12 million passengers. The airport will continue to fight for their expansion. Government planning inspectors granted permission for the expansion plans, on appeal in February, after the plans were rejected by North Somerset Council in 2020 on environmental grounds. These include far higher carbon emissions, more noise, more air pollution and more road traffic. BAAN has raised more than £20,000, through crowd funding, to pay for legal costs to support its appeal. Stephen Clarke, from BAAN, said: “The idea that airports can just continue to expand without limit, in the middle of a climate and ecological crisis, is so obviously wrong. We are delighted that the judge agrees we have arguable grounds that the inspector’s decision has errors in law and we look forward to the full hearing.” If the court rules in favour of BAAN, then the PI will have to reconsider its decision.
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Bristol Airport expansion decision to be taken to High Court by local campaigners, BAAN
On 2nd February the Planning Inspectorate allowed the appeal by Bristol airport against refusal by North Somerset Council, for the airport’s expansion plans – that would allow it to increase its capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year. Now the campaign group, Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), is taking the battle to the High Court. They have raised more than £20,000 to appeal the Planning Inspectorate’s decision. BAAN believes the expansion will be damaging for local people and the environment, citing a rise in road traffic, increased noise and air pollution and an “inevitable rise in carbon emissions”. The Planning Inspectorate said at the time it recognised the “major disappointment” campaigners would have, but the considered economic benefits would outweigh the harm to green belt land. But North Somerset Council will not pursue a legal challenge to the ruling, fearing they would lose and there would be an unacceptable cost to ratepayers. A legal challenge through the High Court can only be successful if the inspectors can be shown to have erred in law, and currently the UK has “no policy which seeks to limit airport expansion” nationally, or on aviation carbon.
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Bristol Airport expansion allowed by Planning Inspectorate, on appeal – called “devastating” by opponents
The 36-day public inquiry into Bristol Airport’s proposal to expand from 10 to 12 mppa, and add thousands more car parking spaces, took place in September and October 2021. Now the Planning Inspectorate have announced their decision to allow the appeal by the airport against refusal by North Somerset Council. This has been condemned as devastating by opponents and extremely disappointing by local councillors. North Somerset Council leader Don Davies said the decision “flies in the face of local democracy”. His authority had given sound planning grounds for refusing permission in February 2020, and warned that the detrimental effect of the airport expansion of the airport locally – as well as the wider climate impacts – outweighed the narrower benefits, which would be almost entirely the commercial interests of the owners, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.. The plan to expand the airport was opposed by thousands of residents, as well as Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and the West of England Combined Authority. Don Davies said the council is seeing if there are any grounds for challenging the PI ruling.
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Bristol Airport awaits decision on expansion as inquiry draws to a close
The 36-day public inquiry into Bristol Airport’s proposal to expand from 10 to 12 mppa has ended, with a decision by the planning inspectors expected early next year. The inquiry is into the appeal by the airport of the rejection in February 2020, by North Somerset Council, of the growth plans; councillors refused the planning permission by 18 votes to seven. The authority’s barrister, Reuben Taylor, said allowing millions more passengers a year to fly from Bristol airport would affect thousands more local people with significant impacts, as well as a negative effect on climate change and the green belt. Mr Taylor said the scheme was unacceptable and unlawful and urged the inspectors to make it clear to airport operators that they do not have a licence to expand. He said the airport “is a company that puts the pursuit of profit before the wellbeing of the people its operations affect.” As well as being refused by North Somerset Council, the expansion has been opposed by Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, the West of England Combined Authority and numerous parish councils. There will be a decision letter eventually, after which there is no further right of appeal – other than a judicial review into the process.
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West of England leaders to formally oppose expansion of Bristol Airport
Leaders of the west region (Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) and North Somerset) are expected to change their minds, and instead of backing expansion of Bristol airport, now oppose it. Metro mayor Dan Norris is tabling a motion at a special meeting on 21st September of the West of England Combined Authority’s (Weca’s) joint committee, which he leads, that would scrap its previous endorsement of the plans. The motion could be carried by a majority vote of the 5 members, so the motion will be carried if Mr Norris (Bristol) and Cllrs Guy (B&NES) and Davies (North Somerset) support it as expected. Cllr Guy said: “Airport expansion is fundamentally incompatible with local councils’ commitment to tackling the climate emergency.” Mr Norris’s motion includes the statements that: There is a climate and biodiversity emergency … The West of England has ambition net zero targets for 2030 …The proposed expansion of Bristol Airport is one of the biggest carbon decisions in the region for the coming decade. And “The Joint Committee resolves: To oppose the latest plans to expand Bristol Airport.”
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Inspector at Bristol Airport expansion inquiry says views of the public will be properly taken into account
The public inquiry into the possible future expansion of Bristol airport started on 22nd July and is expected to last for 10 weeks. There are concerns, as at many inquiries, that the views of the public will not be taken into account, and not fully considered. Campaigners have warned that ignoring thousands of comments opposing the expansion of Bristol Airport, from residents and others, would damage public trust and threaten the integrity of local democracy. However, planning inspector Phillip Ware said: “We’ve read an enormous amount of written material that’s come in from people for and against. We’ve obviously got a lot of people appearing at the inquiry in person and virtually. It is absolutely not a tick-box exercise. We will be dealing with the public views in our decision whichever way the decision goes.” Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “Local democracy thoroughly considered the airport’s plans and decided against them and despite this the airport has now ignored these voices and called for this appeal. Now not only does that threaten to override local democracy, it also threatens the efforts that local communities and councils are trying to take to address the climate crisis themselves.”
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Start of Inquiry into refusal by North Somerset Council of Bristol Airport plans to expand by 2mppa
The public inquiry into Bristol Airport’s expansion proposal began on 20th July with the airport hoping to overturn North Somerset Council’s decision to refuse the expansion plans in February 2020. The inquiry is overseen by the Planning Inspectorate, and is scheduled to run until mid-October with three independent inspectors appointed to consider the airport’s appeal. The airport wants to be allowed to have an extra 2 million annual passengers, from 10 million to 12 million. In its recently-published Transport Decarbonisation Plan (TDP), the DfT committed itself to achieving net zero within the aviation sector by 2050. Allowing airport expansion scheme is not going to help with that – quite the reverse. The worry is that, though the various expansion schemes for Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton – taken separately – look relatively small, collectively (and including Heathrow) the increase in carbon would be huge. The recent TDP does not follow the recommendation from its official advisors, the CCC, that any airport expansion should be offset by reducing flights elsewhere.
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Bristol Airport expansion (for 2 mppa more) public inquiry to will start on July 20th, for 10 weeks
The expansion plans would see passenger numbers grow from 10 million to 12 million a year. The public inquiry into the expansion plans is due to start on July 20 and last 10 weeks. The airport appealed against a decision by North Somerset Council last year to reject its expansion plans. Bristol City Council has also opposed the expansion with North Somerset Council saying it will ‘robustly defend’ the appeal. The inquiry will be held in person and online, via Teams, though requests had been made for it to be online only, due to Covid. Campaigners say any expansion of the airport would lead to higher carbon emissions, congested roads and more plane noise. A number of campaign groups including the Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) , the Parish Councils Airport Association and Stop Bristol Airport Expansion (SBAE) are all set to give evidence at the inquiry. The Planning Inspectorate team will be led by Philip Ware.
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New NEF report shows the climate impact of regional airport plans has been considerably underestimated
See original image in the Guardian article here
For UK to properly take account of the overall climate impact of UK aviation – it needs to consider the emissions from departing AND arriving flights (it currently ignores arriving flights). And also the non-CO2 impacts on climate. Maximum impact is multiplier of x3 (shown here). The multiplier could be x2.
A report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) says the climate impact of expansion plans at regional airports in England has been dramatically underestimated and would threaten the UK’s legally binding climate commitments. NEF calculated that proposals to expand 4 airports (Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted) will lead to an increase in CO2 emissions up to 8 times higher than the airports previously claimed. This means the alleged economic benefits claimed, from more aviation, were overestimated, as they ignore around £13.4bn worth of climate damage the extra flights could cause. Alex Chapman, the author of the report, said the findings raised concerns about the level of scrutiny the airport expansion proposals had received from government. Alex said: “The secretary of state should step in and conduct an independent review of all four of these proposals and their compatibility with the UK’s climate targets.” The airports all use unproven and undeveloped technologies to achieve future fuel-efficiency savings. Most airports only took account of CO2 of outbound flights, not of inbound flights, and ignored the non-CO2 impacts of flights.
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Bristol Airport withdraws application to be allowed many more night flights
Bristol Airport is pushing on with its expansion plans, despite withdrawing the application to the DfT to join the UK’s list of “coordinated airports”. The application, which would allow Bristol Airport to operate night flights all year round, has been withdrawn due to the pandemic-driven drop in passenger numbers. It would have given the airport complete freedom to schedule night flights across the year, with the declared intention to increase summer (summer is 7 months) night flights. Flights are currently allowed to operate between 11pm to 7am in the summer season. Allowing more flights at night would improve airline profits and “efficiency” (allegedly). And airport spokesperson said the application for coordinated status is separate from the airport’s expansion plans, and the airport will resubmit the coordinated status application when/if passenger numbers return to high levels – such as numbers in 2019. There is currently an appeal by the airport, against their rejection by North Somerset council last year. There are now 7 airports that have coordinated status, (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, London City, Luton, Birmingham and Manchester) and this is normally for congested airports. The airport currently has a cap of 10 million annual passengers.
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Canadian teachers don’t want their pensions invested in expanding
February 22, 2021
Since 2014 the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (which has some 329,000 members) has owned Bristol airport. Now some of the Canadian teachers in the pension plan say they stand in solidarity with the thousands of residents who oppose its expansion. In an open letter, six current and former teachers in the plan said they do not want their money used in such a “financially risky and unethical way”, and they would not want a foreign investor paving over their green spaces. The ask the pension plan to instruct the airport to withdraw its appeal, and stop trying to overthrow the democratic will of the local communities. The OTPP has rejected the teachers’ claims that the airport’s expansion – refused last year by North Somerset Council – was incompatible with the council’s climate change commitments. The teachers said the pension plan had pledged to invest in “climate-friendly opportunities” and must invest with conviction and integrity. An OTPP spokesperson gave a waffly response about how the airport was intending to eventually become carbon neutral … and “net zero by 2050.” The airport’s appeal will be heard at a public inquiry in July. The deadline for comments is February 22. OTPP also owns part of London City Airport. The USS owns 10% of Heathrow.
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Date for Bristol Airport expansion inquiry is July 20th and will last 16 days
3 FEB 2021
The expansion plans would see passenger numbers grow from 10 million to 12 million a year. The public inquiry into the expansion plans will open on July 20 and is scheduled to sit for 16 days.
The airport appealed against a decision by North Somerset Council last year to reject its expansion plans which would see passenger numbers grow from 10 million to 12 million a year. Bristol City Council has also opposed the expansion with North Somerset Council saying it will ‘robustly defend’ the appeal.
To find out more visit https://www.stopbristolairportexpansion.org.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/date-bristol-airport-expansion-inquiry-4957379
Bristol Airport expansion: comments can be submitted on the appeal – 11th Jan to 22nd Feb
Members of the public are being urged to submit their views on the expansion of Bristol airport, to the Planning Inspectorate, ahead of public inquiry this summer. The consultation started on 11th January, and end on 22nd February. The airport appealed against a decision by North Somerset Council to reject its expansion plans which would see passenger numbers grow from 10 million to 12 million per year. The public inquiry heard by an independent planning inspector, would probably last 3-4 weeks, and is likely to start in July. Local campaigners are now getting ready to fight the appeal. They say any expansion of the airport would lead to congested roads, increased noise, loss of green belt, negative impact on the local environment from the proposed growth in flights – as well as the impact on climate change. Campaign group Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) is angry that the airport’s management has been instructed by wealthy owners, the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan, to appeal the original decision made in March 2020. Bristol City Council also opposed the expansion with North Somerset Council saying it will ‘robustly defend’ the appeal.
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Bristol Airport Action Network crowdfunding to challenge airport’s appeal against North Somerset Council rejection
BAAN (Bristol Airport Action Network) Committee Coordinators are crowdfunding, to raise £6,000 for their attempt to challenge the airport’s appeal against the refusal, by North Somerset Council, of its expansion plans. BAAN says: the airport’s plans “would mean an extra 23,600 flights and two million passengers a year (as well as an extra 10,000 car movements a day). They would also mean a further million tonnes of carbon to be emitted a year at this time of climate and ecological emergency. Our position is that this airport expansion (and others that are planned) is not legally compliant with the Climate Change Act, The Paris Agreement and the Government’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2050 and MUST BE STOPPED.” They are doing all they can to stop the expansion. BAAN say: “We have been given a very favourable fee quote from a specialist planning barrister and are talking to a number of top experts who are likely to give their time pro-bono or at much reduced rates to represent us at the appeal. We are also being helped by Greenpeace and other environmental organisations.” Donations would be greatly appreciated.
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Bristol protests against the airport appealing against North Somerset Council rejection of expansion plans
Extinction Rebellion and local groups held a number of protest on Saturday 29th August, at UK airports. A large event was held at Bristol Airport, in protest against the decision by the airport to appeal against the rejection of their expansion plans, by North Somerset Council. Extinction Rebellion held a “mourning procession” and hundreds of people marched to the airport, observing Covid social distancing, and in silence, to follow a death theme. One of the protest organisers commented: “When the refusal of Bristol International Airport (BIA) expansion plans became international news in February this year, everyone thought we’d seen the death of the terrifying fantasy of an expanded airport in this time of ecological and climate emergency. We were wrong.” Another said the “democratic process, underpinned by massive public objection, is being threatened, whilst lies about economic benefits and carbon-neutrality are spread with flagrant disregard to the truth.” And it is crazy that precious council funds have to be wasted on this unnecessary appeal, when the money is need to deal with Covid-related issues, among many others.
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A protest against Bristol Airport’s decision to appeal its rejected planning application will take place this weekend.
27.8..2020
Hundreds of people will march to the airport from nearby Felton Common in a staged ‘mourning procession’ at noon on Saturday.
The protest will be socially distanced, single file, silent, and organised around the theme of death.
Coordinated by the community, environment and Extinction Rebellion groups, the event promises a large turn out to bring attention to the issue.
Ben Moss, spokesman for the organisers of the march, said: “When the refusal of Bristol International Airport (BIA) expansion plans became international news in February this year, everyone thought we’d seen the death of the terrifying fantasy of an expanded airport in this time of ecological and climate emergency. We were wrong.
The airport confirmed on August 6 it intends to appeal the council’s decision to refuse its planning application to expand its facilities from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year.
Izzy Russell, student and environmental campaigner, added: “So many of us locals are absolutely enraged by the airport’s decision to appeal, that we have decided to meet in common opposition to the planned expansion and march – safely, with social distancing in place – up to the airport, in a themed procession.”
Around 250 job losses likely at Bristol airport, due to collapse in its air travel demand
Nearly 250 jobs could be lost at Bristol Airport because demand for air travel has plummeted. The unions are saying these redundancies would leave a ‘huge economic hole’ in the region. Bristol Airport has begun consultation with Unite over making 76 directly employed staff redundant. Swissport has also announced 167 job losses. A smaller number of redundancies at other firms are also expected to be announced soon. There are the usual claims about the alleged economic benefit the airport brings, and the number of jobs it supports. These conveniently ignore the fact that most flights are taken by local people flying abroad for their leisure, spending their money abroad – not in local businesses or local leisure/ holiday destinations. To try to save jobs, the unions want delay, in the hope that air travel demand picks up. The AOA – lobby groups for the industry – said this week up to 20,000 jobs at Britain’s airports are at risk as a result of the collapse of air travel due to the Covid pandemic. Bristol is yet another area has has become too dependent on the airport for jobs, and this vulnerability has now been shown up. Aviation is no longer a sector with guaranteed security and growth for a local economy.
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Bristol Airport to cut nearly 100 jobs as aviation sector hit by fall in air travel – airport will make a “very significant” loss this year
10th July 2020 (Business Live)
Still unknown if Bristol airport will appeal against expansion refusal – they have to decide by 19th September
Bristol Airport has not yet decided whether to appeal against a decision to refuse its expansion plans. North Somerset Planning and Regulatory committee councillors went against the council officers’ recommendation earlier this year, to reject the expansion plans which would have allowed the airport to increase its current capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year. The councillors ruled that environmental and societal impacts outweighed the economic benefits of the expansion. The airport has 6 months in which to appeal, and that time ends of 19th September 2020. A spokesman for the airport said a decision on whether to lodge an appeal had yet to be made and was still under review. The decline in air travel demand will be a factor in the decision. The costs of a public inquiry could run into tens of thousands of pounds for North Somerset Council. It has confirmed it will defend any appeal but said it was unable to comment on any potential costs. It would be for the Planning Inspector who is overseeing the case to decide what costs and conditions to impose on North Somerset Council, if it loses.
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Bath and North East Somerset Council rejects Bristol Airport application to increase night flights in summer months
Bath and North East Somerset Council has rejected an application by Bristol Airport to increase the number of night flights. The airport wants to increase the number of night flights to 4,000 throughout the whole year, starting in summer 2021. Currently the airport is allowed 3,000 night flights throughout the summer months and 1,000 in winter. The airport wants to be able to move some of their winter allocation to the summer, when demand is higher. Bath and North East Somerset Council rejected the application – stating it would have a negative impact on people living in towns near the airport. The request for more flights comes after the council opposed the expansion of Bristol Airport in March 2019. Then in March 2020 North Somerset Council threw out the plans, (which included increasing passenger numbers by an extra two million each year and building more car parks) on the grounds they were “incompatible” with the council’s declaration of a climate emergency. The extra night flights would cause noise nuisance to people in both councils.
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Bristol Airport expansion plans rejected by North Somerset council by 18-7
North Somerset Council’s Planning & Regulatory Committee has gone against the advice of their own planning officers and have refused permission for Bristol Airport to expand. It has been a “David versus Goliath” battle of local campaigners against the airport, (owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan). The airport wanted to expand from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year, with large carpark and other building. The opposition to the plans was huge, on ground of carbon emissions, as well as noise and general local damage. There were almost 9,000 objections sent in by members of the public, against 2,400 in favour. Councillors voted 18-7 against the plans, with one abstention. Councillors were persuaded that paltry economic benefits to the airport and airlines were far outweighed by the environmental harm. There would be large land take for the parking, and the extra carbon emissions would make targets of carbon neutrality for the area unachievable. Because the councillors went against the officers’ recommendations, the decision will return to the same committee to be ratified. If the decision is ratified, the applicant has six months to lodge an appeal, which would be heard at a public inquiry.
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Plans to expand Bristol Airport accused of being flawed; decision put off till early 2020
A decision on Bristol Airport’s major expansion bid will not be made this year. They submitted proposals to boost passenger numbers from 10 million to 12 million a year by the mid-2020s, and to expand the airport’s on-site infrastructure. A decision had been due over the summer but people are continuing to comment – there are currently about 3,780 objections and 1,800 letters of support. Reasons for opposing the expansion include climate change, traffic levels, air pollution and noise. When they declared a “climate emergency”, Bath and North East Somerset Council members also voted to oppose the airport’s expansion, amid concerns about increased congestion on rural roads in their area. There is also doubt about alleged economic benefit. The airport and its supporters always talk up the possibility of more jobs, and improved “access international export markets.” In reality, the majority of air passengers are on leisure journeys. The application will be considered by North Somerset Council’s planning and regulatory committee meeting in 2020, with possible dates the 22 January, 19 February and 18 March.
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GPs willing to be arrested in protests over Bristol Airport expansion
A Bristol doctor who is a member of Extinction Rebellion has hit out at the airport plans
6 NOV 2019
Almost 100 doctors are campaigning against the proposed expansion of Bristol Airport – and some of them are willing to be arrested for the cause. Dr Grace Thompson, an out-of-hours GP at Kingswood’s Cossham Hospital, is among 92 local doctors backing a petition against the expansion. More than 100 healthcare workers have signed it in total. Dr Thompson, a mum-of-three and member of environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion, believes the scheme would cause dangerous air pollution levels for residents and unborn children. The plans would see the airport able to handle 12 million passengers a year, up from its capacity of 10 million. The doctors are ‘willing to be arrested’ in upcoming protests. One doctor said: “The right to protest and potentially get arrested is something we are in talks about with the General Medical Council.’ There was a recent report on Bristol air pollution by King’s College London, which said a higher air pollution day in Bristol is responsible for 4 extra cardiac arrests, and 18 extra people being hospitalised for asthma or strokes.
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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.
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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.
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Bristol airport hope to expand from 8 to 12 million annual passengers; 73% rise in CO2 emissions
Bristol Airport is hoping to expand. There is a consultation that started on 19th December, and ends on 26th January, on their plans. Details can be found here. The headline application issue is a 50% growth in passengers – from the current 8.2 million per year, to 12 million by the mid 2020’s. Carbon emissions from flights are estimated to rise by 73% from 746 ktCO2 in 2017 to 1,290 ktCO2 with 12 million passengers. The increase in passengers will be achieved by de-restricting night flights up to 4,000 per year, expanding car parks, changing road lay outs, and building a multi-storey car park (persuasively capped with some wind turbines). There are further plans to raise passenger numbers to 20 million by 2040. There is a lot of local opposition, focused on issues such as congested roads, ‘parking blights’ (cars parked in lanes etc), other local environmental impacts, noise pollution – through the night and day. There are some minimal hyper-localised ‘Noise Insulation Grants’ (up to £5000 for glazing). The airport plans to get more income in from cafes, shops and car parking, to boost profits. Bristol Airport is entirely owned by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan – it is not British owned at all.
Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport wants to introduce a free drop-off zone – but only if allowed to expand to over 10million annual passengers
Bristol Airport wants to bring back a free drop-off zone and create a new waiting area for taxis. The airport has not had a free drop-off zone since it removed its 10-minute ‘free’ period in May 2011. People now pay £1 for up to 20 minutes. The airport has now announced plans to introduce a free drop-off zone – but only if it gets planning consent from North Somerset Council to expand. People living near the airport complain about cars clogging up local areas, with drivers parking in lay-bys and residential roads to avoid paying to park at the airport. The airport’s expansion plans, with hopes of expanding from the current 8 million annual passengers up to 12 million, (its current cap is 10 million) would include a new authorised waiting area for taxis and a free drop-off area for other vehicles. It is not yet known how much time drivers will get for free. The plan is included in the airport’s proposals for the Section 106 Agreement, so is dependent on the plans being approved. The airport hopes to reduce opposition to its plans, by this small gesture towards helping with the local parking issue. And to please future air passengers.
Click here to view full story…
Bristol airport hoping for expansion of long haul routes, to divert people in the south west from using London airports
Bristol Airport is planning a major expansion which could see it provide more long-haul routes for passengers from 2018, which it desperately wants. Bristol has had some direct holiday flights this year to Florida and Mexico, and may get some to the Dominican Republic in 2018. The airport’s runway is certified for code E aircraft, which allows for trips to North America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and parts of the Far East. Daily departures to New York operated in the past, before being scrapped in 2010 due to the retrenchment of the airline market – but the airport hopes this could happen again. Major investment in the South West, including the development of Hinkley Point C in Somerset, is expected to further boost demand for business travel to and from the region. There have been recent initiatives to promote inbound tourism, eg. with VisitBritain, that just might bring in more overseas visitors. The airport is asking the public for their views on 3 separate scenarios which include the possibility of a new terminal, more car parks, more hotels and an ‘employment’ zone for businesses. Bristol hopes (unrealistically?) that their passenger numbers will increase by 10% every year. They want to provide flights that get residents in the south-west to use Bristol, rather than airports in the south-east (Heathrow and Gatwick), hence perhaps cutting some of the demand for Heathrow.
Click here to view full story…
Government decides not to devolve APD to Wales
The UK government has confirmed that there would be no devolution of APD to Wales. APD has been fully devolved to Scotland, and SNP has the intention of halving it and eventually scrapping it. Some in the Welsh Assembly wanted devolution of APD to Wales, so it could be cut – in the vain hope that would boost the profitability of struggling Cardiff airport. Airports in England, and Bristol in particular, were deeply opposed to APD in Wales being cut, in case that encouraged people to use Cardiff airport rather than Bristol. The local Bristol MP said that would cause unfair competition between airports. The impact of abolishing APD would only be at most £13 per return flight for anywhere in Europe, (£26 for a return flight within the UK) – with no difference for a child under 16, so hardly worth the trip all way over to Cardiff. In a Commons debate on the Wales Bill, parliamentary under secretary of state for Wales, Conservative MP Guto Bebb, said: “Air Passenger Duty has been raised during the debate, and the fact that we are not proposing to devolve it has been criticised, although I think that that is right and proper.” The loss of income from the removal of APD would in all likelihood be larger than any benefit from more inbound tourism etc, causing a net loss to the Welsh economy.
Click here to view full story…
Green field gravelled over – during the night – to become illegal Bristol Airport car park. Not an isolated incident
An illegal Bristol Airport car park has appeared after green fields were gravelled over during one night. Neighbours living close to the airport say just months after two unauthorised car parks were closed down, another has been created in what was a picturesque field. North Somerset Council confirmed the former field, which had around 100 holidaymakers cars parked on over the weekend, did not have permission and they are investigating. The access to the field, near the busy A38 may not be designed for this volume of vehicles. It appears that car parking businesses “hop from one location to another without any regard for planning laws or the health and safety of others.” A resident said: “The residents living nearby now have the view of a car park and comings and goings all night, in what was a field.” The Council said: “”People need planning permission to build car parks. However in green belt locations, such as this, the parking of cars would normally be inappropriate development.”We can take enforcement action by serving an enforcement notice requiring the inappropriate use to cease. Failure to comply is a criminal offence for which the council could start legal proceedings.” The Council shut down two unauthorised car parks in the area in January 2016, and they closed over 40 unauthorised airport car parks near Bristol airport in the past four years. Gatwick has similar problems.
Click here to view full story…
Work on terminal extension at Bristol airport, to increase passenger numbers, to start in September
Bristol airport has announced its plans to increase the size of its terminal building. The airport was granted permission for its £120 million expansion plans more than 3 years ago in the face of fierce opposition from some local residents. The scheme has been put largely on hold as a result of the recession. Parts of the work have been carried out and now the airport is planning to extend its terminal building. The work will start in early September, and they hope it will be completed by summer 2015. Other improvements will eventually include a new hotel and a new public transport interchange. The airport deals with around 6 million passengers per year and the aim is to increase the total to 10 million. The airport now has as many passengers as before the recession. A new £6.5 million central walkway which is designed to ease congestion at peak travel times has just been completed. Bristol airport hopes to get the new generation of jets flying direct to long-haul destinations in Latin America and the Far East.
Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport avoids millions in tax
October 27 2013 Bristol Airport avoided up to £2.6 million in tax in 2012 and has potentially avoided £6.7 million since using a legal tax avoidance scheme, an investigation by Corporate Watch and the Independent has revealed. The airport cuts their UK taxable income by racking up interest on debt from its owners via the Channel Island Stock Exchange, then sends the interest out of the UK tax-free. Bristol Airport is 50 per cent owned by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund, 49 per cent by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and one per cent by Sydney Airport. An airport spokesman told the Independent that it “fully complies with UK regulatory, tax and legal requirements”. link
Bristol Airport flies more Welsh passengers than Cardiff
February 16, 2013 Provisional figures for 2012 indicate that more passengers from Wales use Bristol Airport than Cardiff. Over 1 million passengers used Cardiff in 2012, down about 200,000 in a year, with nearly 6 million at Bristol. The statistics suggest the scale of the task facing the Welsh government in improving Cardiff Airport’s fortunes as ministers finalise a deal to buy it. It is estimated that it amounts to the equivalent of about 1.1m passengers over a year flying from Bristol, having come from or going to places in Wales. The Welsh government is expected to take over Cardiff Airport over the next few months after a slump in passenger numbers from a peak of 2m in 2007. It is negotiating a price with Spanish owners Abertis and carrying out various checks and balances on the airport’s finances. The Mayor of Bristol says both airports have their problems, and it would be better if they could work together. Click here to view full story…
Justine Greening opens new aircraft stands at Bristol, and backs importance of regional airports to UK
June 23, 2012 Justine Greening officially opened 3 new aircraft stands at Bristol Airport, and said regional airports like Bristol are important for the UK’s economy and business success. The stands – to allow more aircraft – are the first of more than 30 projects worth around £150m which will enable Bristol airport to grow over the next decade. Bristol handled 5.8 million passengers in 2011 but hope for 10 million in due course. Justine Greening said the importance of airports such as Bristol would be underlined in the Government’s new aviation strategy. She also said electrification of the Bristol-London rail line would benefit the airport as it could bring inward investment to the city. Bristol wants some 5 million passengers who go to London airports to instead use Bristol. Click here to view full story…
High Court rejects Bristol Airport judicial review
27th October 2011 Campaign group Stop Bristol Airport Expansion have been refused permission for a judicial review against North Somerset Council’s approval of the airport’s plan. Mr Justice Collins, at London’s High Court, said the decision adhered to Government aviation policy (the out of date ATWP 2003) and even if that policy was flawed, legally it should stand. They had argued that climate change was a local, national & international issue, and thus relevant to airport expansion. Click here to view full story…
Bill Bryson presents Bristol anti-airport expansion campaigners with award
14th July 2011 SBAE has received national recognition for its work opposing the proposed plans to increase airport traffic at Bristol Airport from 6 m passengers to 10 m passengers by 2019. The group’s campaigning achievements were acknowledged by CPRE President Bill Bryson who presented them the Marsh Award for the Benefit of Rural England + £450. Bill said: “These extraordinary people finish their working week only to sit down and do another week’s worth in their spare time.” Click here to view full story…
easyJet increases capacity on Bristol routes (taking more tourists out of the south west)
7.7.2011 (EasyJet) easyJet, the largest operator at Bristol Airport, has announced it is to increase the frequency on 15 of its Bristol routes providing an extra 10,000 seats for South West passengers this summer. These are on popular summer holiday routes including Dalaman, Faro, Ibiza and Split until the end of September. All holiday stuff (helping to take tourists and their money out of the south west).
Fight against Bristol airport’s expansion plans is far from over
26th April 2011 Stop Bristol Airport Expansion say the fight against the airport’s expansion plans is far from over. They made the announcement as they are submitting a request for a Judicial Review to take their case to the high courts. Their lawyers are confident there is a strong case against the airport’s plans, which would see it nearly double in size, with nearly double the CO2 emissions, and with serious traffic and noise impacts for local communities and the environment. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport tries out plan for wind turbine – (to cut carbon emissions !)
23rd January 2011 Bristol airport has installed a wind turbine. The South West Regional Development Agency provided £39,000 to pay for the project. At an average wind speed of 5.8 m/s, it is expected to generate enough electricity in the coming year to make more than 203,000 cups of tea. [Which equates to around as much energy as that used by 5 passengers making return flights to Geneva. And the airport had 5.6 million passengers in 2009]. Click here to view full story…
The airport is now aiming for 10 million passengers by 2016, whereas the Government
only expected 10-12 million by 2030
only expected 10-12 million by 2030
Continental Airlines scraps flights to New York from Bristol
7th November 2010
Continental’s last flight from Bristol to New York took place on 7th November. The
service has been daily for the past 5 years. Its cessation is being blamed on
rising taxes and the recession and they say the rise in APD will further cut the
attractiveness of the flight. APD increased from £45 to £60 on economy flights
to New York, (15 -20% increase on an average fare) and business class passengers
pay a tax rise from £90 to £120. Click here to view full story… This was the only long haul flight from Bristol – all others are domestic or European.
Bristol campaigners explore options for airport decision challenge
24th September 2010
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion is taking legal advice on how to challenge the
government’s decision not to call in Bristol Airport’s expansion plans. They criticised
the refusal by the Government Office for the South West to refer the scheme as
“misguided”. The airport is concluding a section 106 agreement before bringing
forward the scheme. It includes car parking, aircraft stands and a terminal extension.
The airport assumes work could begin next year. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport £150m expansion plans given the go-ahead by government
18th September 2010
The government has decided not to intervene in the planning process and not to
call in the application for airport expansion. North Somerset Council approved
the expansion scheme, subject to 70 conditions, in May. Eric Pickles had the right
to a final say on the development, as some of the site is on green belt but it
was announced on 17th that he would not exercise his option to call a public inquiry
into the plans. Building work could begin next year. Stop Bristol Airport Expansion
plans to mount a legal challenge. Click here to view full story…
Bristol campaigners say NO to airport hotel
29th July 2010
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion is calling for the withdrawal of the planning
application for a hotel at the Airport which will displace car parking onto green
belt land, until a decision has been made by the Sec of State on whether to allow
development on green belt. The hotel should not be given the go-ahead because
that space should be used for further car parking to save green belt land on the
south side. The hotel will damage trade for local B&Bs, hotels etc. Click here to view full story…
application for a hotel at the Airport which will displace car parking onto green
belt land, until a decision has been made by the Sec of State on whether to allow
development on green belt. The hotel should not be given the go-ahead because
that space should be used for further car parking to save green belt land on the
south side. The hotel will damage trade for local B&Bs, hotels etc. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport campaigners set up fighting fund for legal challenge
3rd July 2010
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion has set up a fund to launch a legal challenge
against North Somerset Council’s decision to allow the airport’s expansion plans.
The council approved the expansion, subject to 70 conditions, in May. If Eric
Pickles does not call a public inquiry, necessary as some of the development is
on green belt land, then SBAE will launch their legal challenge – claiming there
is no government policy to support the decision. Click here to view full story…
Airport trolley charges double at Bristol, Luton and Cardiff
6th July 2010 The cost is rising from £1 to £2 and is non-refundable. The cost increase will be rolled out across a number of other airports later in the year. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport expansion given go-ahead
24th May 2010
Multi-million pound plans to expand Bristol Airport have been passed by North
Somerset councillors. The £150m scheme was recommended for approval by 10 votes
to two. Campaigners have argued that a 60% increase in passenger numbers up to
10 million per year was too high. More than 5,500 comments were submitted during
a consultation of which 5,180 objected to the plans. The approval will have to
be referred to the Sec of State at DCLG (Pickles) because some development is
on green belt land. Click here to view full story
New flights at Bristol airport and its hopes for a bumper summer
3rd April 2010
There will be 4 new routes by easyJet (Tenerife, Paphos, Bodrum and Heraklion)
and a Wizz will start flights to Warsaw. Bristol airport captures only 35% of
the 17 million air journeys the south-west region generates each year, with the
rest lost to London. They hope their current ongoing infrastructure improvements
will increase Bristol’s share. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport decision still in balance
4th March 2010
Campaigners fighting against Bristol Airport’s ambitious expansion plans have
welcomed North Somerset Council’s move to delay making a decision on the proposals,
saying that the final outcome remains uncertain and there is still everything
to play for. STOP Bristol Airport Expansion say NSC have done the responsible
thing in referring the application to a more senior planning committee as the
application still has many serious unresolved issues.(SBAE) Click here to view full story…
Bristol campaigners call for postponement on airport decision
1st March 2010
Campaigners have called for a delay in Wednesday’s decision on Bristol Airport’s
major expansion plans because of a change in recommendations from North Somerset
Council on night flights. SBAE said that NSC’s South Area Meeting cannot make
a decision at this point because proposed conditions on noise from night flights
have suddenly introduced new changes to the night noise quota system without any
consultation with the public. (SBAE) Click here to view full story…
Bristol expansion recommended for approval by North Somerset planning officers.
28th February 2010
The £150 million expansion plans at Bristol Airport have been recommended for
approval by North Somerset Council planning officers. A 170-page report on the
planning application, which could see the airport double in size to accommodate
10 million passengers a year and includes expanding the terminal plus more airport
parking, will go before the Council’s South Area Committee in a special meeting
at 18:00 on March 3rd. (UK Airport News) Click here to view full story…
Bristol campaigners ask Government to step in on airport decision
27th January 2010
Campaigners fighting the expansion of Bristol airport have asked the GOSW to
step in and refer the decision on the airport’s plans to the Secretary of State. Stop Bristol Airport Expansion said they decided to request a ‘call-in’, 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. Click here to view full story…
No carbon saved by diverting Heathrow passengers to Bristol
27th Nov 2009 A new study, by Stop Bristol Airport Expansion, shows that
– contrary to the arguments by the industry – the expansion of Bristol airport
is highly unlikely to divert much of the ‘leakage’ of passengers, who choose to
go to London airports, rather than local ones, for their trips. The industry claims
that by getting people to fly from their local airport saves CO2 emissions. This
study shows that carbon savings would not be made, unless services from London
airports were reduced as Bristol services increase. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport expansion plan decision delayed
20th November 2009
Bristol International Airport bosses will have to wait until February to hear
whether their £150 million expansion plans will get the green light. A decision
from North Somerset Council on the airport’s proposal had been expected on December
9. But councillors will now have extra time to digest the plans to increase annual
passenger traffic to 10 million by 2016 from the current level of 6 million a
year. (This is Bristol) Click here to view full story…
Bristol – Local tourism jobs lose out with airport growth
18th November 2009
Thousands of jobs in the local tourism industry have been lost despite Bristol
Airport’s huge growth in recent years. This is shown in a new report from Stop
Bristol Airport Expansion, which for the first time compares tourism data for
the South West with airport growth figures. The soaring passenger numbers at Bristol
Airport between 2001 and 2007 did not result in a boom for local tourism. In fact
the tourism sector shrank by 10% in real terms. (SBAE) Report author Jeremy Birch
said that given the figures in the study, there was no reason to think that BIA’s
proposed 60% expansion is likely to reverse this trend. Click here to view full story…
Macquarie Airports sells its stake in Bristol airport
17th September 2009
Australia’s Macquarie Airports has reshuffled its European portfolio. It is selling
its 35.5% stake in Bristol Airport. The Bristol stake is being sold for £128m
($211m) to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. The shake-up comes as Macquarie Airports
separates itself from Macquarie Group, the Australian investment bank. The sale
price of the Bristol stake is at a 12.7% discount to the asset’s value at June
30. (FT) Click here to view full story…
Council objects to Bristol airport plan
11th September 2009
Politicians in Bath have objected to the £150 million expansion of Bristol International
Airport amid fears over climate change. Bath and North East Somerset Council this
week voted to ask its neighbouring authority to reject the airport’s planning
application. The final decision on the plan, which would see passenger numbers
increase to 10 million in 8 years, rests with North Somerset Council. Bristol
City Council has also urged the rejection. Click here to view full story…
Bristol airport planes off track (SBAE press release)
7th August 2009
A dramatic image released by the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion campaign shows
just how many flights from Bristol International Airport are spreading out from
standard flight paths. The image shows flights departing from BIA during one week
at the end of May. The data illustrates just how wide an area flights from BIA
have covered. Plans for 10 million passengers, and 13.8 million by 2030 can only
mean that things are going to get much worse. (SBAE) Click here to view full story…
just how many flights from Bristol International Airport are spreading out from
standard flight paths. The image shows flights departing from BIA during one week
at the end of May. The data illustrates just how wide an area flights from BIA
have covered. Plans for 10 million passengers, and 13.8 million by 2030 can only
mean that things are going to get much worse. (SBAE) Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport flights mapped (local paper)
10th August 2009
Campaigners at Bristol have produced flight maps, showing that flight paths have
deviated from regular routes and the extent of the Bristol area where planes fly.
More planes travelling wide of regular flight paths will cause more suffering
for local residents. Plans for 10 million passengers, and 13.8m by 2030 can only
mean that things are going to get much worse. The airport is rubbishing the study.
Consultation on expansion closes on 17th August. Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport planning application launched
17th June 2009
Bristol Airport have submitted their long awaited planning application, to North
Somerset Council. Their plan is to grow to handle 10 million passengers a year.
The airport claims this will create more than 3,500 new jobs across the region.
And they say there are measures to mitigate the impact of the airport’s activity
on the local community and environment. The expansion includes expansion of the
terminal to double its floor area. Click here to view full story…
Somerset Council. Their plan is to grow to handle 10 million passengers a year.
The airport claims this will create more than 3,500 new jobs across the region.
And they say there are measures to mitigate the impact of the airport’s activity
on the local community and environment. The expansion includes expansion of the
terminal to double its floor area. Click here to view full story…
What is Bristol International Airport planning to do?
20th July 2009
Details of the Bristol Airport planning application, which was published on 29th
June. Deadline for comment is 17th August. Plan is – by 2016 for a 60% increase
in passengers. A 40% increase in commercial flights. A 50% increase in passenger
car journeys to the airport. A 36% increase in night flihts, and a 50% increase
in summer night flights. And all that amounts to a 60% rise in carbon emissions
from the airport’s activities by 2016. (From SBAE) Click here to view full story…
29th June 2009 Bristol International Airport (BIA) has applied for planning
permission to expand. This development aims to increase passengers by 60% by 2016,
increase passenger flights by 40%, summer night flights by 50%, car journeys by
over 2m per year, and carbon emissions by at least 40%. SBAE (Stop Bristol
Airport Expansion) have put together all the information people need to comment
on the airport’s application. Details …..
permission to expand. This development aims to increase passengers by 60% by 2016,
increase passenger flights by 40%, summer night flights by 50%, car journeys by
over 2m per year, and carbon emissions by at least 40%. SBAE (Stop Bristol
Airport Expansion) have put together all the information people need to comment
on the airport’s application. Details …..
Public health doctors argue the case against expanding Bristol’s Airport
28th May 2009 Dr Angela E Raffle and the West of England Public Health
Climate Change Group have concluded that expansion of Bristol airport will increase
the amount of aircraft noise and the volume of traffic and congestion through
local communities. This will damage health, wellbeing and education for a sizeable
proportion of those living nearby. When balanced against any positive health effects,
the negative effects are greater. (This is Bristol)Click here to view full story…
Climate Change Group have concluded that expansion of Bristol airport will increase
the amount of aircraft noise and the volume of traffic and congestion through
local communities. This will damage health, wellbeing and education for a sizeable
proportion of those living nearby. When balanced against any positive health effects,
the negative effects are greater. (This is Bristol)Click here to view full story…
EasyJet won’t axe flights from Bristol despite profit losses
8th May 2009
easyJet says it has no plans to axe further flights from Bristol despite posting
losses of almost £130 million in 6 months. The firm, which operates 39 different
routes from Bristol, has announced its losses had more than doubled to £129.8m
in the 6 months to March 31, compared with £48.4m a year ago. In the first 3 months
of 2009, In the first three months of this year, there was a 21% drop in passengers
comparet to the same period in 2008. (This is Bristol) Click here to view full story…
losses of almost £130 million in 6 months. The firm, which operates 39 different
routes from Bristol, has announced its losses had more than doubled to £129.8m
in the 6 months to March 31, compared with £48.4m a year ago. In the first 3 months
of 2009, In the first three months of this year, there was a 21% drop in passengers
comparet to the same period in 2008. (This is Bristol) Click here to view full story…
Macquarie puts Bristol International airport up for sale
20th April 2009
Macquarie has put Bristol airport up for sale as it scrambles to raise cash.
The group is understood to have sounded out potential buyers for the airport,
which carried more than 6m passengers in 2008. Possible bidders include Prudential’s
M&G’s infrastructure fund and Fortis, which recently bought Belfast’s George
Best airport. The airport was valued at around £283m in 2006, but interested bidders
are likely to offer much less now. (Sunday Times) Click here to view full story…
Claim of “4,000 jobs to be created” in Bristol Airport expansion pre-application
22nd January 2009
Bristol Airport has launched a pre-application consultation for its expansion
plan. It claims this would generate up to 4,000 new jobs, and the majority of
the proposed development would sit within its 176 hectare site. There will be
a 6-week consultation. Proposals inclued extending the terminal building, additional
car parking and new aircraft stands. This will enable the airport to handle 10
m passengers a year – up from around 6 m now. Ends on 6th March. (Wales
online) Click here to view full story…
plan. It claims this would generate up to 4,000 new jobs, and the majority of
the proposed development would sit within its 176 hectare site. There will be
a 6-week consultation. Proposals inclued extending the terminal building, additional
car parking and new aircraft stands. This will enable the airport to handle 10
m passengers a year – up from around 6 m now. Ends on 6th March. (Wales
online) Click here to view full story…
Bristol Airport shows off development plans
22.01.09 (UK Airport News) Link to full article
Bristol Airport is putting its development plans on show as part of a six week pre-application consultation process aimed at gathering views on the scheme. It is estimated that the completed scheme will generate around 4,000 additional
jobs in the south-west and bring up to £343 million into the region. Following
consultation, the airport is expected to submit a planning application to North
Somerset Council for a range of improvements to the airport’s facilities and services.
Consultation runs till Friday March 6th 2009.
The proposals include plans to extend the terminal building, provide additional
car parking and create new aircraft stands – enabling the airport to handle up
to ten million passengers per annum, six million used the airport in 2008.The
proposed development will be concentrated within existing operational areas, with
the exception of a small area to the south which will be used for additional car
parking.
Bristol Airport walkway approved
13.11.08 (UK Airport News) Link
Bristol Airport have won the right to build a walkway extension to the terminal.
The decision follows an application for a certificate of lawfulness for a structure
that would rule out the need for passengers to take buses from the terminal to
their aircraft.
Anti expansion campaigners protested the plans were ‘expansion by stealth’ and
argued that a full planning application should be submitted due to the size of
the structure. However, councillors on North Somerset Council’s South Area Committee
voted last night to allow the development to proceed without one.
Bristol – new climate change targets mean airport plans will damage other businesses
1st November 2008
Campaigners welcoming the Government to include greenhouse gas emissions from
international aviation and shipping in the UK’s Climate Change Bill are today
warning that Bristol airport’s expansion plans now mean that other local industries
will pay more for the airport’s free ride unless the airport curbs its growth.
It currently has plans to increase to 10m passengers per year by 2016. This growth
would mean the rich fly at the expense of the poor. (SBAE) Click here to view full story…
The Walkway saga:
Bristol Airport expansion doesn’t need environmental assessment
12.07.08 (UK Airport News) link
An environmental assessment does not need to be carried out at Bristol Airport
on the building of a controversial new walkway, according to a response from the
Government Office of the South West.
on the building of a controversial new walkway, according to a response from the
Government Office of the South West.
In May, North Somerset Council voted that a full planning application would be
needed before the new £7m development was allowed. It would be used to allow passengers to walk from the terminal building to waiting aircraft, rather than using the
buses that currently transfer travellers to the planes.
needed before the new £7m development was allowed. It would be used to allow passengers to walk from the terminal building to waiting aircraft, rather than using the
buses that currently transfer travellers to the planes.
At the time of the meeting, the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion (SBAE) group approached
the Government Office of the South West and asked whether an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) was required before construction took place. However, chief executive
Paul Kehoe, said: ‘I’m happy to say this stalling tactic has backfired, as we
have received confirmation the walkway does not constitute EIA development.’
the Government Office of the South West and asked whether an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) was required before construction took place. However, chief executive
Paul Kehoe, said: ‘I’m happy to say this stalling tactic has backfired, as we
have received confirmation the walkway does not constitute EIA development.’
15.5.2008 Bristol Airport – major setback for airport walkway
Campaigners fighting to prevent the expansion of Bristol Airport have won the
first round of their fight to stop a covered walkway being built. They said
the walkway scheme was an undercover way of increasing the airport’s passenger
capacity, and was in fact a major building 450m long 8m high and 8m wide.
first round of their fight to stop a covered walkway being built. They said
the walkway scheme was an undercover way of increasing the airport’s passenger
capacity, and was in fact a major building 450m long 8m high and 8m wide.
The airport wanted to build the 2-storey structure, leading from the terminal
to the edge of the runway, under permitted development rights, without submitting
a formal planning application. Councillors from North Somerset Council have agreed
that the walkway wouldn’t be allowed without their permission.
to the edge of the runway, under permitted development rights, without submitting
a formal planning application. Councillors from North Somerset Council have agreed
that the walkway wouldn’t be allowed without their permission.
15.5.2008 More …..
26.3.2008)
North Somerset Council have indicated that they may rule on BIA’s ‘permitted development’ application for a new ‘walkway’ at an
area planning meeting on 16th April at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare. The plans for this ‘walkway’ show it to be a massive development which Stop BAE
believe will act to significantly extend the capacity of the current terminal
building – in turn making way for continued growth in passenger numbers and flights.
area planning meeting on 16th April at the Town Hall, Weston-super-Mare. The plans for this ‘walkway’ show it to be a massive development which Stop BAE
believe will act to significantly extend the capacity of the current terminal
building – in turn making way for continued growth in passenger numbers and flights.
Although the development sounds insignificant, the new structure will be considerably
bigger in size than allowed for by the terms of the airport’s ‘permitted’ development
– equivalent in volume to 56 1930s terraced houses.
bigger in size than allowed for by the terms of the airport’s ‘permitted’ development
– equivalent in volume to 56 1930s terraced houses.
‘Permitted development’ allows alterations without consultation with local parishes
and residents within BIA’s current boundaries for its immediate operating needs
only, not for the planned growth in passenger numbers outlined in the airport’s
Master Plan. Stop BAE have taken legal advice that clearly indicates that this development
should be considered under a full planning application, which would require a
full environmental impact assessment.
and residents within BIA’s current boundaries for its immediate operating needs
only, not for the planned growth in passenger numbers outlined in the airport’s
Master Plan. Stop BAE have taken legal advice that clearly indicates that this development
should be considered under a full planning application, which would require a
full environmental impact assessment.
BIA APPEARS TO BE EXPANDING BY STEALTH
(14.1.2008) Airport wants to build a “walkway” to shelter passengers as they walk form
the terminal to their planes, reducing reliance on shuttle buses, under permitted
development. More info …..
the terminal to their planes, reducing reliance on shuttle buses, under permitted
development. More info …..
Some stories about Bristol airport can be found on the UK Airport News website:
2009
15.10.09 Bristol Airport boss says campaigners flight cap argument ‘flawed’
09.10.09 Bristol Airport campaigners seek passenger cap
07.10.09 Government body raises Bristol Airport expansion concerns
02.10.09 Macquarie sold Bristol Airport stake at a discount
17.09.09 Canadian pension fund buys Bristol Airport stake
27.08.09 Thomson announce third weekly Bristol – Egypt flight
25.08.09 Council oppose Bristol Airport expansion
24.08.09 easyJet Bristol Airport flight lost radio contact
20.08.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 3.5%
12.08.09 Ryanair add Bristol – Malaga flights
10.08.09 Bristol Airport flight map
08.08.09 Petition supports Bristol Airport expansion
29.07.09 Bristol Airport owner to become independent company
29.07.09 Campaigners dispute Bristol Airport jobs figures
22.07.09 Campaigners want delay in Bristol Airport expansion decision
20.07.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 11.9%
15.07.09 Passengers down 18% at Bristol Airport
10.07.09 Four companies compete for Bristol Airport duty free franchise
08.07.09 Row over Bristol Airport night flight plans
01.07.09 Bristol Airport expansion work starts
28.06.09 Ryanair launch 11 new Bristol routes this week
20.06.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 16.9%
19.06.09 Bristol Airport expansion ‘reckless and unnecessary’
17.06.09 Bristol Airport expansion plans submitted to council
14.06.09 Work starts on Bristol Airport extension
31.05.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 19% this year
21.05.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 14.4%
20.05.09 Bristol Airport celebrates four years of US flights
18.05.09 Row over council’s response to Bristol Airport plans
11.05.09 Majority of Bristol Airport consultation responses against expansion
09.05.09 Bristol Airport retail revenue down 15.8%
02.05.09 Shareholder still backing Bristol Airport expansion
20.04.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 22.8%19.04.09 Bristol Airport for sale15.04.09 Bristol Airport flight path villages get no vote on expansion02.04.09 Lufthansa axe Bristol – Frankfurt route
31.03.09 Greens oppose Bristol Airport expansion20.03.09 Bristol Airport passengers down 26.2%14.03.09 Bristol Airport boss defends expansion plans10.03.09 Bristol Airport car park goes to court05.03.09 MPs urge Bristol Airport expansion rethink
14.02.09 Campaigners blast Bristol Airport expansion plans 12.02.09 Ryanair announce Bristol – Belfast flights 10.02.09 Bristol Airport puts duty fee to tender06.02.09 Kiss announce Bristol – Tenerife service 26.01.09 Ryanair to cut Polish flights 23.01.09 Residents slam Bristol Airport expansion plans22.01.09 Bristol Airport shows off development plans18.01.09 Bristol Airport passengers use US connections17.01.09 Passengers down at Bristol Airport
15.01.09 Ryanair add 12 new Bristol Airport routes
09.01.09 Bristol Airport runway was unsafe
2008
25.11.08 Bristol Airport fills XL gap22.11.08 Passengers up 0.4% at Bristol Airport13.11.08 Bristol Airport walkway approved09.11.08 Bristol Airport could double in size01.11.08 Campaigners say Bristol Airport expansion will harm business
29.10.08 Second Bristol airport ‘ready for take-off’23.10.08 Bristol Airport expansion plans revealled22.10.08 Residents to question Bristol Airport bosses20.10.08 Bristol Airport passengers up 2.6%10.10.08 Bristol Airport parking planning appeal rejected07.10.08 New Turkey flight for Bristol Airport
26.09.08 Bristol Airport works with agents to find XL replacement25.09.08 New Bristol Airport boss announced19.09.08 Bristol Airport passengers up 9.3%09.09.08 Ryanair axe Bristol – Derry flights07.09.08 Bristol Airport supporters group cleans up05.09.08 Bristol lose Ryanair and easyJet routes02.09.08 Wind turbine plan for Bristol Airport
31.08.08 Higher rail fares ‘will benefit domestic air travel’ 05.08.08 Councillor unhappy at Bristol Airport night flights05.08.08 Profits up at Bristol Airport03.08.08 Bristol Airport wind turbine plan19.07.08 Passengers up 6.7% at Bristol Airport19.07.08 Bristol Airport responds to car park criticism14.07.08 Air Southwest adds business scheme13.07.08 New restaurant at Bristol Airport12.07.08 Bristol Airport expansion doesn’t need environmental assessment
07.07.08 New mighty mover at Bristol Airport to help cut bird strikes
30.06.08 easyJet launch winter flights from four UK airports
27.06.08 Bristol Airport boss: ‘use or lose’ New York flights
20.06.08 Passengers up 14.8% at Bristol Airport
18.06.08 Bristol Airport has 10,000 international passengers a week
20.05.08 Passengers up 12.3% at Bristol Airport15.05.08Bristol Airport planning setback15.05.08
22.04.08 Bristol Airport passes 6 million mark
20.04.08 New group supports Bristol Airport expansion
19.04.08 Passengers up 12.1% at Bristol Airport
26.03.08 Lufthansa launches at Bristol Airport
23.03.08 Bristol Airport aviation fair
20.03.08 Passengers up 9.9% at Bristol Airport
02.03.08 Lufthansa appoint manager at Bristol Airport
26.02.08 AAIB report on Bristol Airport flight problems22.02.08Air Southwest launch business plus fare15.02.08Lufthansa Bristol Airport seat sale02.02.08A380 superjumbo makes ‘green fuel’ test flight
21.01.08 Bristol Airport passengers up 9.3% in December15.01.08New EU airports directive could give Cardiff Airport an advantage over Bristol
2007
23.12.07 New machine to track Bristol Airport noise
22.12.07 Councillor says Bristol Airport should pay for policing
20.12.07 Passengers up 8.4% at Bristol Airport
19.12.07 SAS announce Bristol Airport – Stockholm flights
15.12.07 easyJet launch new Bristol – Innsbruck flights
08.12.07 easyJet announce new routes from Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Luton
All articles in reverse date order