Civic Society Comments

Bristol Civic Society response to the proposed expansion of Bristol International Airport. Response from the Transport Group,  14.12.05  


The Transport Group of Bristol Civic Society is concerned about the environmental impacts of the proposed expansion of Bristol International Airport. Our concerns are as follows:

Noise

Currently there is one flight every 7 minutes, by 2030 there will be one flight every 3.5 minutes. The recent expansion in domestic flights from BIA has resulted in more aircraft noise over the city of Bristol. Even if planes are slightly quieter by 2030, the large increase in flights will create more noise for a large number of people. The larger planes to be introduced will be stacked up waiting to land and these will be circulating over areas of housing. BIA operates around the clock and this would represent major increase in disturbance to local residents.

Car traffic

By 2030 there will be an extra 2400 cars per hour entering or leaving the airport. This will clog up an already congested road network. 93% of staff and 95% of passengers currently arrive by car. A doubling followed by a tripling of passengers as envisaged in the Masterplan will add massively to local congestion. Doubling of parking spaces (by another 8,000) will add to car traffic. We do not support the plan to take land currently in the Green Belt for extra car parking. Cars using BIA are already causing a poor environment for those living in local villages particularly Barrow Gurney and in houses surrounded by illegal car parks. We oppose any increase in road capacity which will encourage more traffic and divert resources from much needed public transport improvements.

Countryside around BIA

The size of the increase in both flights and accompanying traffic threatens to destroy the rural and tranquil nature of the area of North Somerset in which BIA is situated. This will represent a severe loss of amenity for those Bristol inhabitants who enjoy this countryside for recreation and appreciate its beauty just on our doorstep. The affect on the businesses relying on this trade has never been acknowledged by BIA.

Climate change

In the Masterplan, there is no acknowledgement that BIA already produces 712,000 tonnes of CO2 (the entire road traffic in Bristol produces only 390,000). The issue of increased CO2 emissions is not addressed at all. The strategy of expanding BIA and other airports now and then joining the EU Emissions trading scheme at a later date would be climate change folly.

Fuel Supply

Coupled with CO2 emissions is the issue of limited fuel supply and consequent cost rises. This could well undermine the economics of airport expansion.


Colin Jefferson, Convenor