CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO NORTH SOMERSET COUNCIL
At a special meeting of the Council’s planning committee on March 18th Councillors voted to ratify the decision (taken a month earlier against Officers’ advice) to reject the Airport’s application to expand to cater for an additional three million passengers a year, from around 9 million currently to 12 million by 2025. The vote on 10th February was 18 passed by 18 votes in favour of rejection, with 7 against and 3 abstentions. The ratification vote on 18th March was even more emphatic (18:2:3).
Don Davies, Leader of North Somerset Council said:
‘What the Committee has considered is that the detrimental effect of the expansion of the Airport on this area and the wider impact on the environment outweighs the narrower benefits to Airport expansion. I know some people will be upset by this decision and I am sure that we can reconsider it in future when the airline industry has decarbonised and the public transport links to the airport are far stronger.’
The proposals would have seen more than 97,000 flights arriving and departing the airport a year, 23,800 flights mre than in 2017.
The plans submitted in December last year received more than 11,000 public comments including 8,473 objections to the plan.
The Airport still has the right to appeal this decision so it’s essential to remember that …
BRISTOL AIRPORT IS ALREADY BIG ENOUGH
Further expansion under existing permission will still lead to:
- increased air pollution that will further harm the health of regional communities
- increased greenhouse gas emissions that offset 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 to natural habitats and landscape
- parking sprawl as on-site parking expands and the blight of illegal parking spreads through roads, fields and communities around the Airport
Only the Canadian owners, the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, will profit from expansion. These profits will be taken at the expense of the health and well-being of the West region, its wildlife and natural environment and its economy.
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