Your say / Bristol airport
‘The sky’s the limit for Bristol Airport’
There has been a lot of passionate discussion and debate recently over Bristol Airport’s expansion plans, which are due to be shared with North Somerset Council.
Broadly, their current master plan envisages growing the numbers of passengers handled annually from 10 million to 12 million by 2030 (with a further projection to potentially reach 20 million by 2050).
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Read more: Latest on Bristol Airport master plan revealed
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Central, regional and local government planning policies are now much more sensitive to limiting the environmental effect of such major developments and there are numerous commitments being made – particularly by Bristol City Council – to become carbon neutral in its energy consumption and economic activity.
There is an obvious tension between achieving ambitious environmental targets and supporting future growth.
Bristol Airport has put together a phased expansion plan
We are told that the airport’s new master plan attempts to reconcile this by being guided or founded on five pillars:
- Maintaining its place as a world-leading regional airport.
- Continuing to create jobs and supporting economic growth.
- Becoming a genuine multi-modal transport hub.
- Embracing sustainability in plans to reduce and mitigate their impact on the local/global environment.
- Producing flexible phased proposals that respond to changing shifts in demand.
To this end, the airport has stated an intention to produce a climate change and carbon action plan to help reduce aviation emissions – including those from aircraft ground-movements – and meet additional energy demands through more renewables.
Despite the 20 per cent increase in passengers contemplated, the airport retains its own carbon neutrality target by 2030.
It is important to remember that Bristol Airport has been a remarkable success story.
From its humble beginnings as an RAF airfield (purchased by the Bristol Corporation in 1955), through the inspirational leadership of Les Wilson OBE, eventual divestment of the public shareholding in the company (1994 and 1997) and hard work of an entrepreneurial and energetic management team to become the ninth busiest regional airport in the country (2017).
Aside from the convenience to the travelling public by offering more routes and capacity, in 2016, the airport is said to have generated £1.3 billion to the regional economy and supported around 15,000 full time jobs.
Its role as employer and wealth creator cannot therefore be simply ignored.
Irrespective of Brexit – whichever way that issue is ultimately resolved – we will still need the airport to continue to attract inward investment to the South West.
So long as there is an appetite and market for budget air travel, as well as an increasing population, regional airports will want to expand and prosper. In my view, this expectation has to be reasonably accommodated and supported.
I am also acutely conscious of the case against airport expansion. These arguments tend to gravitate around concerns over noise, pollution, visual harm from the development itself to secondary parking and increased demands overwhelming the local road network.
Read more: Bristol Airport’s expansion plans branded ‘bonkers’
Inevitably, the planning process has to try to strike a balance between such competing – sometimes mutually incompatible – interests.
Indeed, it was just this kind of calculation around the safety of a large surrounding residential population which prevented Filton from ever becoming a genuine commercial rival to Lulsgate.
The West of England Joint Spatial Plan & Joint Transport Study is still evaluating various mass transit options along strategic routes like the Bristol Airport to Bristol A38 corridor.
My preference for rail is well known, but I suspect this will end up being some form of segregated road transport. The airport expansion could be a catalyst for much better connectivity in the region.
Progress, so long as this is controlled and responsible, involves making difficult choices and change. This is both desirable and necessary. Handled properly, the sky really is the limit for Bristol Airport.
Consequently, I believe we should look forward to seeing the finalised plans of this much-prized asset and work with them constructively towards securing greater economic prosperity for us all.
Mark Weston
Mark Weston is the Bristol Conservative group leader, a councillor for Henbury and Brentry and the Tory parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West.
Read more: Bristol declares climate emergency and pledges to become carbon neutral by 2030
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