Bristol City Council decides airport expansion ‘incompatible’ with carbon reduction targets

A majority of Bristol councillors have voted against the proposed airport expansion, branding it “incompatible” with the region’s carbon reduction targets.

Mayor Marvin Rees, who had previously expressed support for the plans, and the city’s Labour group backed a Green Party motion opposing expansion at a full council meeting on Tuesday, December 8.

A Labour amendment to the motion called for a “just transition” in line with a Green New Deal, which recognises the need to protect jobs.

A campaign led by Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), resulted in almost 9,000 objections being sent to North Somerset Council, which rejected the plans to increase passenger numbers by two million a year in February.

……………………………….

Read more: Bristol Airport expansion rejected by North Somerset Council

……………………………….

However, the airport announced in September it will be appealing the decision and a local inquiry by a Government planning inspector is expected to start in July next year.

Although the decision on expansion is not in the hands of Bristol City Council, campaigners say that the outcome of Tuesday’s meeting is positive and can help to uphold the decision taken by North Somerset Council.

Bristol Airport wants to increase passenger numbers by two million a year – photo courtesy of Bristol Airport

Lisa Stone, BAAN member and Green Party councillor candidate, told Bristol24/7 that she is “incredibly excited” about the decision but warned there is a need to be vigilant and continue the community pressure as the airport appeals against the decision by North Somerset Council.

According to BAAN, if the expansion goes ahead it will mean 23,600 extra flights and a million additional tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere each year.

In the days leading up to Tuesday’s meeting, more than 1,000 people signed a petition calling on the Bristol and West of England mayors to oppose the expansion. Several statements and questions were put to the council from members of the public, all supporting the motion.

The only opposition came from Conversative councillors, who voted unanimously against the amended motion.

Research conducted by environmental consultant Adrian Gibbs shows that emissions from expanding the airport will be “nine times higher” than suggested by airport owners, said Jerome Thomas, a Green councillor for Clifton who tabled the motion.

Speaking after the vote on Tuesday, Thomas said: “It’s a significant step for Bristol that we do emphatically commit to opposing Bristol Airport expansion.

“It’s not going as far as we’d like, in that it’s not asking the mayor to formally object to the planning inspector about the airport expansion, but by voting for this motion we are making clear our opposition to expansion and that it is incompatible with our climate targets.

“We are of course disappointed that Bristol’s Conservatives don’t seem to have recognised that the region’s future must be green.”

The Green group will be writing a letter of objection to the planning committee and say they are confident that the Labour mayor and councillors will support this letter.

Cabinet member for transport Kye Dudd spoke on behalf of the Labour group during the debate.

He added his support for the amended motion but expressed his concern for workers in the aviation industry and the “devastating effect” Covid-19 has had on that sector where there are many “blue collar, unionised jobs”.

Dudd spoke of the need for a “Green New Deal” that doesn’t leave workers worse off.

Both Dudd and Afzal Shah, Labour’s cabinet member for climate, spoke of the need to respect the democratic decision made by North Somerset Council.

Shah told the meeting that there has been “a lot of focus on issues outside our control” and called on “consumers to consider very carefully the impact of their carbon footprint”.

Conservative councillors opposed the motion that was passed with a majority vote

In response to Bristol City Council’s decision, a spokesperson for the airport said: “The plans to expand capacity at the airport will offer passengers more routes and flights from the South West directly, create jobs, facilitate inward investment and inbound tourism, and support sustainable economic growth that will drive the region’s recovery from Covid-19.

“Not expanding Bristol Airport risks putting the brakes on the region’s economy and shutting the door to international trade and tourism at a time when the UK in a post-Brexit world needs to show it is open for business.

“Preventing Bristol Airport from meeting demand for air travel from within the region it serves will simply exacerbate a situation which already sees millions of passengers a year from our region drive to London airports in order to fly, creating unnecessary carbon emissions and congestion in the process.”

Main photos by Stephen Sumner

Read more: Councillors call on mayor to oppose airport plans