Decision to block Bristol Airport expansion overturned on appeal

Bristol Airport’s plans to expand its capacity to 12 million passengers a year have been allowed on appeal in a decision branded “shameful” by opponents.

North Somerset Council leader Don Davies expressed his “extreme disappointment” and said the decision after a 36-day inquiry “flies in the face of local democracy”.

He said the authority gave sound grounds for refusing permission in February 2020 and it is seeing if there are any grounds for challenging the Planning Inspectorate ruling.

The expansion allows the airport to increase its current capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers per year while adding thousands more parking spaces. It is yet to hit the current cap and pre-pandemic in 2019 fewer than nine million passengers used the airport.

Reacting to the news Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), a coalition formed to oppose the expansion plans, expressed outrage at the appeal decision.

Taking to Twitter, BAAN said: “Naturally we are all outraged by this news and will be posting an official response once the full decision has been analysed. Love to all who opposed this unwanted appeal. We will not give up!”

Responding to the news, Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party and a councillor for Clifton Down, said: “Allowing Bristol Airport to expand – more than doubling its capacity – is an outrageous decision that is totally incompatible with the climate emergency.

“Aviation, especially the frequent flights taken by a wealthy minority, is one of the fastest-growing sources of carbon emissions and causes incredible amounts of pollution both globally and locally in Bristol and North Somerset.

“The government’s intervention on the side of the airport goes against the wishes of local people, councils and elected representatives and contradicts the advice of their own Climate Change Committee. It risks setting the UK’s progress on climate change back by years.”

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Read more: Regional leaders oppose Bristol Airport expansion plans 

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Davies gave his reaction following an adjournment in the council’s executive meeting, saying: “The refusal was based on firm planning grounds and the belief the detrimental effect of the expansion of the airport on this area and the wider impact on the impacts on the environment outweighed the narrower benefits of airport expansion, which sit almost entirely in the commercial interests of the owners, a foreign pension fund.” The airport is owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.

Davies said the council had mounted a robust defence of the council’s position and it was “extremely disappointing” that the inspectors overturned its decision and allowed the airport to grow “even further with all the associated noise, environmental and health impacts that entails”.

The expansion was also opposed by Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council and the West of England Combined Authority.

“This simply flies in the face of local democracy and disregards the views of the local communities who fought equally hard to resist the expansion,” Davies added.

Bristol Airport is yet to respond to the appeal decision – photo: Martin Booth

Joe Rayment, a former Labour councillor candidate, branded the appeal decision shameful. He said on Twitter that it was “a decision taken out of the hands of local people, with zero concern for the future of life on earth, but with major concern for short term economic benefits for the rich”.

North Somerset councillor Steve Bridger said he was “devastated”, adding: “We need to see change”.

Bristol Airport has been approached for comment but is yet to respond publicly to the news.

When it lodged the appeal it 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 greener and more sustainable, regional economic growth.

“As the UK emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic it is essential that all regions of the country are given the opportunity to grow to their full potential and contribute to the national recovery effort.

“International trade and connectivity will become increasingly important as the UK completes its departure from the European Union – increasing aviation capacity is essential in delivering this goal.”

Main photo: Bristol Airport

Stephen Sumner is a local democracy reporter for North Somerset

Read more: Sparks fly as Bristol Airport expansion inquiry draws to a close 

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