Planning Application 07/P/3214/PAI
South Area Committee meeting, 14 May:
A Minor Victory!
At t he South Area Committee meeting, the councillors unanimously passed two motions, which are roughly:
- "BIA is told that this is not permitted development and must submit a full planning application"
- "The council will reexamine the issue of whether an EIA is required"
We are, of course, delighted by this. We're not quite sure what the airport's next move will be, but it shows that at least minor victories are possible!
Read our press release about the outcome of the SAC meeting »
Minutes of the meeting on the NSC website »
Details of the application on the NSC website »
How the walkway increases capacity »
Expansion by stealth?
Despite promising not to submit a planning application in the school holidays, at almost the last possible moment before Christmas, Bristol Airport did put in a planning application to North Somerset Council under a General Permitted Development Order to construct a walkway between the terminal building and the western apron.
Permitted development allows the airport to make alterations and to develop within its current boundaries, and is also allowed if urgently required for the efficient running of the airport. Stop Bristol Airport Expansion has identified that the development the airport is asking for actually exceeds the constraints put on permitted development.
The description of the development sounds insignificant – the airport states that the walkway is being built to shelter passengers as they walk form the terminal to their planes, reducing reliance on shuttle buses. In fact the walkway will not remove the need to walk from the terminal to the planes - passengers will still be exposed to the elements as they board and leave the planes.
The structure proposed is as large as 56 terraced houses and will significantly increase capacity, although BIA deny this and say it is merely for the comfort and convenience of the passengers. They have admitted in a private meeting that delay in building the walkway has prevented two extra Ryanair planes being based there this year - that equates to around 500,000 extra passengers per year. So allowing the walkway will at least increase capacity by that much and probably considerably more. This will impact massively on local communities with more traffic on local roads, more noise and more light pollution. More flights will add to North Somerset’s contribution to the region’s CO2 emissions.
We believe that the development that has been applied for is in fact a terminal extension by stealth to enable expansion and has nothing to do with easing any current operational problems.
Our Aim
Our aim is to turn this application from a general permitted development order to one that is a full planning application. This will allow Councillors to make the decision, the public to express their views, and an environmental impact assessment to be submitted.
Our Arguments Against the Proposals
- The size of the development given in this application is not covered under permitted development.
- The development outlined in this application will have major local impacts and should therefore be treated as a full planning application so that it can scrutinised properly
- BIA claims that this development is urgently required for the efficient running of the airport and operational need. However, it will in fact function to increase passenger numbers and flights, as shown in their published Master Plan
- The walkway is mentioned in the Masterplan as allowing for a larger number of passenegrs than the current arrangements allow. But BIA are trying to build the walkway without any of the impact assessments or planning controls that applications under the Masterplan would require.
- North Somerset Council asked for clarification on economics, traffic, parking, climate change etc. BIA promised to supply this clarification with planning applications - yet it has not provided them for this application
- BIA’s proposals are about expansion by stealth and increasing capacity as quickly and cheaply as possible without any public or community involvement
- BIA claim that this development will reduce their carbon footprint but take no account of the huge increase in emissions as flights increase
- This development will impact visually on the Mendip Hills AONB and other viewpoints
- North Somerset Council must be aware that Luton Airport has expanded under ‘general permitted development’ orders. Bristol Airport is modelling itself on Luton Airport and will seek to use this route to expand rather than be accountable to the planning system, which might impose restrictions.
Many thanks for your help.
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion