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Councillors call on mayor to oppose Bristol Airport expansion plans
Opposition politicians are asking Marvin Rees to formally oppose plans for a major expansion of Bristol Airport on environmental grounds.
The airport’s plans to increase passenger numbers by two million a year were vetoed by North Somerset Council in February, but the airport has appealed the decision.
Green councillor Jerome Thomas’ “golden motion” will see Bristol City Council have its first ever debate of the controversial plans.
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It calls on Rees to publicly oppose the plans and to write a formal letter of objection to the Government planning inspector hearing the appeal.
It also calls on Bristol City Council to oppose the expansion plans, which would allow the airport to grow its passenger numbers from ten million to 12 million a year.
Bristol’s mayor has previously expressed his support for the expansion plans and refused to formally object to them in January.
He and his transport chief councillor Kye Dudd sent a letter to North Somerset Council last year saying the airport expansion would provide a “significant boost to the local economy”.
Transport chief councillor Kye Dudd (pictured) and mayor Marvin Rees support the expansion. Photo: Ellie Pipe
The motion to “Stop Bristol Airport Expansion”, which councillor Thomas plans to bring before full council on Tuesday notes that the council has “led the way in declaring climate and ecological emergencies”.
It says: “The proposed expansion of Bristol Airport is the biggest carbon decision in the region for the coming decade.
“The growth in carbon emissions from the proposed airport expansion is around one million tonnes per year, which is over 50 per cent of Bristol’s current carbon emissions.
“Although Bristol City Council has declared climate and ecological emergencies, Bristol’s mayor previously declared his support for the expansion and lodged a letter of support in the original planning application. Airport expansion has never been discussed or voted on by Bristol’s councillors.
Many are against the planned expansion. Photo: Aphra Evans
It adds: “Their plans would mean an extra 23,600 flights per year and two million passengers a year (as well as an extra 10,000 car movements a day and a multi-storey car park on green belt land).
“Although the Bristol mayor and Bristol City Council are not the decision makers they are important voices in this decision making process and any objection they make to these plans could make a real difference to the outcome of the appeal.”
Amanda Cameron is a local democracy reporter for Bristol.
Main photo: Bristol Airport
Read more: ‘Bristol Airport’s expansion is the single most important environmental issue in the region’
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