Council objects to airport plan
Politicians in Bath have objected to the £150 million expansion of Bristol International Airport amid fears over climate change.
Bosses at the airport have accused councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council of being swayed by "emotional" arguments over the fate of their plans to double its size.
The final decision on the plan, which would see passenger numbers increase to 10 million in the next eight years, rests with North Somerset Council.
B&NES this week voted to ask its neighbouring authority to reject the airport's planning application.
But the Bath councillors conceded that their colleagues in North Somerset might ignore their advice, and have put forward a series of suggested conditions about road improvements, noise and night flights.
The motion to urge refusal of the plans came from Cllr Nicholas Coombes (Lib Dem, Bathwick), who said: "The expansion of airports is incompatible with attempts to cut carbon emissions. Indeed, it goes against common sense to imagine that Bristol International Airport can double its emissions over the next 10 years but that carbon emissions overall can be reduced in line with Government targets.
"Only this week the Climate Change Committee that the UK will have to cut emissions by 90 per cent by 2050 for the aviation industry to continue to grow.
B&NES will now tell North Somerset Council that, if permission is granted, there should be no increase in night flights, and it will ask the neighbouring authority to commission research into the noise impact of expansion on the Bath area.
Bristol City Council has also urged the rejection of the application.
Hilary Burn of the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion group said: "B&NES councillors are to be applauded for seeing sense over the airport's expansion plans. Climate change is the greatest threat facing the modern world, and dealing with its consequences will have a huge cost for the economy.
"With two of the airport's neighbouring authorities now objecting to the expansion plans, it is time the airport withdrew its application and cut back its plans so that it can fit in with economic and environmental realities."
But Alan Davies, planning and environment director at the airport, said: "The discussion at the B&NES Council meeting centred on emotional arguments relating to aviation's contribution to climate change. It ignored the recommendations of the Bath and North East Somerset planning officers and representatives of the tourism industry and business community in Bath.
"The aviation industry is at the forefront of developing new technology which will enable it to meet the challenging target of reducing emissions from flying to 2005 levels by 2050 against a background of a threefold increase in passenger numbers.
"We are confident that North Somerset Council, as the determining authority, will undertake a more thorough and proper analysis of the application before reaching its conclusion. We are also confident North Somerset will put much more weight on the employment, economic and tourism benefits generated by the airport in their district."
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by Jim in the West, Somerset
Sunday, September 13 2009, 6:55AM
“It would be interesting to understand if the councillors who voted to reject the expansion of the airport would also prefer not to see any foreign tourists in the city. The vast majority of those overseas visitors arrive in the UK by air - perhaps we should ban them from visiting Bath?”
by BRigadier, Tally-howe
Saturday, September 12 2009, 7:07PM
“Expand Bristol's airport 10-fold, what, what then run a direct BRT from Bath? Splendid!”
by James, South West
Saturday, September 12 2009, 12:03PM
“I spelt the name of Cllr Coombes incorrectly in my posts.
My apologies to him.”
by James, South West
Saturday, September 12 2009, 12:01PM
“I've just seen Cllr Coombs's post.
I take it the good councillor never travels by air, and certainly not from Bristol, and that neither do his colleagues who made the opposition decison. if that is not the case then I can only believe they are acting like hypocrites.
As for climate change, does he really think that curbing the expansion of what is still a relatively small regional airport, and would still be so if expansion were allowed to proceed, will make any difference to world climate change when countries such as China are building new airports in huge numbers, each one far bigger than Bristol.
In Europe the giant Frankfurt Airport has been given court permission to build an extension, increasing passenger numbers by 25 per cent to 80 million a year.
The UK is the laughing stock of world business trying to stop the tide only in the UK when other countire are happily embracing the rising surf.
I suupose Cllr Coombs and his cohorts will only be satisfied when aviation is emasculated so much that it will return to the position of yesteryear when only the well-off and business people could fly.
The rest of us will have to make do with a boarding house at Weston-super-Mare for our holidays.”
by James, South West
Saturday, September 12 2009, 11:52AM
“Bristol Airport is a very successful regional airport that shows what an important facility it is for the region.
It is the ninth busiest in the UK, not just in England, and the fifth busiest in the UK outside London - only Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow are busier.
Expansion is needed so that more routes can be made available to those who currently have to drive or travel by train to Heathrow or Gatwick.
I live much closer to the airport than the residents Bath and certainly don't find that aircraft noise is intrusive as the planes pass right over my house, inbound and outbound according to runway in use (dependent on wind direction).
When I visit Bath I note the aircraft are much higher and inbound to the airport which means engine noise is less anyway.
Other countries seem more alive to the benefits that airports bring. Imagine those athonians who object to Bristol Arport living in Innsbruck, for example, where aircraft pass over the city centre at less than two thousand feet.
It's like having an airport at Newbridge.”
by Cllr Nicholas Coombes, Bathwick
Saturday, September 12 2009, 9:31AM
“I've put an explanation of my decision at www.nicholascoombes.mycouncillor.org.uk if that is of interest.
It worries me that the airport chiefs describe climate change as an "emotional argument" when the scientific facts are so persuasive.”
by JM, Bath
Saturday, September 12 2009, 8:27AM
“When it comes to noisy flying and pollution the seagulls have Easyjet beaten hands down! Let's see some action on that front if they want to do something useful!”
by Mandelson, bath
Saturday, September 12 2009, 6:13AM
“So our wonderful councillors oppose extension of bristol airport to save future generations from climate change yet approve the sale of alcohol in alice park alongside a childrens playpark|| Wot no yacht in corfu Bristol??”
by Colin Robson, Widcombe
Friday, September 11 2009, 4:54PM
“Three cheers for B&NES councillors (and I don¿t say that too often) for their forward thinking decision to oppose the expansion of Bristol Airport. Two flights have gone over the valley heading Bristolwards in the last last half hour and I dread to think what it would be like if expansion took place. Interesting to see that the airport management sees criticism of their plans as ¿emotional¿. It¿s about time we all got emotional about the contribution increased flights will make to climate change. Wake up - it¿s almost too late!”
by Dan, Bath
Friday, September 11 2009, 3:17PM
“I guess I will have to continue driving to Gatwick, Heathrow etc. for flights I can't catch from Bristol. Other regional airports will expand and the benefits from business and leisure flights will be lost to the area. You would have thought a city dependant on tourism would have encouraged improved travel facilities.”