Airport Master Plan for next 30 Years - Consultation

[superking]

The amount of protests going on and biased media coverage.The different bodies seem a lot more organised this time than last time.What with a lot of wrong councillers running the authority does not bode well.So reading between lines it will go to Westminster for saying yes or no to expansion.Its the same story as people protest about things that they know nothing about it.They like sheep 1 leads and the rest follow.

 

[Jerry]

Social media has changed things. Its gives people access to issues that they wouldn't have had before. Whether it be news, ideas or connecting with like minded people. It also allows organisers of things like protest movements to gain a larger audience than in year's gone by.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The amount of protests going on and biased media coverage.The different bodies seem a lot more organised this time than last time.What with a lot of wrong councillers running the authority does not bode well.So reading between lines it will go to Westminster for saying yes or no to expansion.Its the same story as people protest about things that they know nothing about it.They like sheep 1 leads and the rest follow.

I think that SBAE (StopBristolAirportExpansion) was more efficiently organised last time (2010/2011) but climate change has become much more in focus across the country and not just with aviation, especially in the past couple of years.

I posted recently that, when looking back at a BRS newspaper of the early 1990s, the proposal for a new terminal was heavily featured (it went to the Planning Inspectorate for a final decision) but climate change was never mentioned by any of the bodies that objected. Incidentally, the objections to that terminal that would have doubled throughput to 2 mppa were the same as now (climate change excepted). 2 mppa would make residents' lives unbearable we were told by the opponents of the new terminal, with local roads gridlocked and grinding to a halt.

Like you, I believe that the local authority will reject the planning application to enable 12 mppa to be handled. I presume the airport would lodge an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate. In many ways that might not be a bad thing. It would drag out the process but at least all the issues would be tested by an independent professional planning inspector with none of the local pressures with which elected councillors have to contend. Furthermore, there is also the argument that the airport is a major regional facility and one small local authority in which it happens to sit should not be the arbiter for the entire region when it comes to air connectivity.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Someone drew my attention to leaflets circulating that advertise a roadside protest against airport expansion. People are advised to meet at 5.30pm on Thursday 29 August at Felton Village Hall.

Extinction Rebellion to hold 'protest spectacle' on major road

"We will create a spectacle"

www.bristolpost.co.uk

I wonder if they will all travel to the airport by foot, bike or public transport.

 

[Jerry]

Extinction Rebellion to hold 'protest spectacle' on major road

"We will create a spectacle"

www.bristolpost.co.uk

I wonder if they will all travel to the airport by foot, bike or public transport.

Or environmentally killing old camper vans!

 

[Red Flyer]

How ironic that the local villagers reckon traffic blocking the A38 is a good reason to stop BRS expanding so they join together with group whose main aim seems to be causing traffic chaos!!!!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

How ironic that the local villagers reckon traffic blocking the A38 is a good reason to stop BRS expanding so they join together with group whose main aim seems to be causing traffic chaos!!!!

There seem to be two types of group opposed to BRS expansion, with conflicting aims.

There are the climate changers who want aviation and other industries reined back.

There are also the local nimbys who, from reading their views as set out on the SBAE website, believe that BRS has expanded enough and that other airports should be given more flights instead, with CWL the one highlighted. SBAE is in favour of APD being devolved to Wales because they believe that would benefit CWL to the detriment of BRS. If there are more flights, whether from BRS or CWL, they will still cause emissions into the atmosphere of the UK which is contrary to the climate changers' aims.

In fact, the number of extra flights that would be generated would be fairly minimal in the amount of emissions generated but the climate changers obviously think that any increase is wrong, whilst the nimbys simply want the flights shifted away from where they live.

By chance I was speaking to an acquaintance of an acquaintance this week who mentioned that he works at the Planning Inspectorate that has its English headquarters in Bristol. He is not an inspector but has a senior admin role. I obviously did not discuss BRS because the Planning Inspectorate might finish up with an appeal against the local authority's decision on their hands. He did say in general terms that such an appeal would be of a type that would have a senior inspector appointed, possibly aided by one or two assistant inspectors, to carry out the enquiry.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There seem to be two types of group opposed to BRS expansion, with conflicting aims.

There are the climate changers who want aviation and other industries reined back.

There are also the local nimbys who, from reading their views as set out on the SBAE website, believe that BRS has expanded enough and that other airports should be given more flights instead, with CWL the one highlighted. SBAE is in favour of APD being devolved to Wales because they believe that would benefit CWL to the detriment of BRS. If there are more flights, whether from BRS or CWL, they will still cause emissions into the atmosphere of the UK which is contrary to the climate changers' aims.

In fact, the number of extra flights that would be generated would be fairly minimal in the amount of emissions generated but the climate changers obviously think that any increase is wrong, whilst the nimbys simply want the flights shifted away from where they live.

By chance I was speaking to an acquaintance of an acquaintance this week who mentioned that he works at the Planning Inspectorate that has its English headquarters in Bristol. He is not an inspector but has a senior admin role. I obviously did not discuss BRS because the Planning Inspectorate might finish up with an appeal against the local authority's decision on their hands. He did say in general terms that such an appeal would be of a type that would have a senior inspector appointed, possibly aided by one or two assistant inspectors, to carry out the enquiry.

Updates from Extinction Rebellion's Bristol Airport protest

Protesters are unhappy about the airport's expansion plans

www.bristolpost.co.uk

The protestors are not trying to block the road at the moment. They are content thus far to stand on the narrow pavement alongside the A38 opposite the Airport Tavern and wave their banners. From the press pictures, they seem to be numbered in dozens not hundreds. I expect they will claim far more than were actually there as organisers of such events always seem to do.

You always get one though, and this one decided to climb the structure (sculpture) on the A38 roundabout outside the airport main entrance. He described it as a 'phallic symbol'. If some of the demonstrators believe that to be a phallic symbol they must get really turned on when they see a line of lamp posts.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Had an email from the airport today asking people to comment formally on their current planning application on the North Somerset Council website.

18/P/5118/OUT | Outline planning application (with reserved matters details for some elements included and some elements reserved for subsequent approval) for the development of Bristol Airport to enable a throughput of 12 million terminal passengers in any 12 month calendar period, comprising: 2no. extensions to the terminal building and canopies over the forecourt of the main terminal building; erection of new east walkway and pier with vertical circulation cores and pre-board zones; 5m high acoustic timber fence; construction of a new service yard directly north of the western walkway; erection of a multi-storey car park north west of the terminal building with five levels providing approximately 2,150 spaces; enhancement to the internal road system including gyratory road with internal surface car parking and layout changes; enhancements to airside infrastructure including construction of new eastern taxiway link and taxiway widening (and fillets) to the southern edge of Taxiway GOLF; the year-round use of the existing Silver Zone car park extension (Phase 1) with associated permanent (fixed) lighting and CCTV; extension to the Silver Zone car park to provide approximately 2,700 spaces (Phase 2); the provision of on-site renewable energy generation; improvements to the A38; operating within a rolling annualised cap of 4,000 night flights between the hours of 23:30 and 06:00 with no seasonal restrictions; revision to the operation of Stands 38 and 39; and landscaping and associated works. | Bristol Airport North Side Road Felton Wrington BS48 3DP

planning.n-somerset.gov.uk

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Warning to Bristol Airport passengers ahead of protest

The group says 1,000 climate change activists will cycle around the airport

www.bristolpost.co.uk

1,000 protestors are set to cycle around the airport tomorrow for three hours in their latest game about the airport's expanson plans.

I'm becoming more convinced by the day that many of them take a perverse delight in spoiling people's everyday activities. One of those convicted this week in Bristol of blocking the M32 motorway during the week of protest in the city earlier this summer came across as an unemployed, arrogant lout. He was told by the judge to stop drinking alcohol in the court room and asked, "Is it a problem then?" This from someone who said because he's unemployed he can't afford to pay the court costs awarded against him.

He's obvious got nothing to fill his time so taking part in protests is probably a big laugh for him. Whilst not all the protestors are like this I would bet a large sum of money that his type is well reperesented in the group.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Warning to Bristol Airport passengers ahead of protest

The group says 1,000 climate change activists will cycle around the airport

www.bristolpost.co.uk

1,000 protestors are set to cycle around the airport tomorrow for three hours in their latest game about the airport's expanson plans.

I'm becoming more convinced by the day that many of them take a perverse delight in spoiling people's everyday activities. One of those convicted this week in Bristol of blocking the M32 motorway during the week of protest in the city earlier this summer came across as an unemployed, arrogant lout. He was told by the judge to stop drinking alcohol in the court room and asked, "Is it a problem then?" This from someone who said because he's unemployed he can't afford to pay the court costs awarded against him.

He's obvious got nothing to fill his time so taking part in protests is probably a big laugh for him. Whilst not all the protestors are like this I would bet a large sum of money that his type is well reperesented in the group.

Recap: Extinction Rebellion protest sees 'mass cycle' around Bristol Airport

The protest will see 1,000 campaigners cycle around Bristol Airport

www.bristolpost.co.uk

The Bristol Post's 'running story' of the cycle protest with a video embedded. Doesn't look as if there are 100 cyclists let alone the 1,000 forecast. They are a nuisance for all that as they constantly cycle around the roundabout on the A38 at the main airport entrance.

All they do with this sort of protest is cause vehicles to queue using more fuel, pumping more muck into the atmosphere. They have a peculiar thought process if they want to cut down emissions.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Recap: Extinction Rebellion protest sees 'mass cycle' around Bristol Airport

The protest will see 1,000 campaigners cycle around Bristol Airport

www.bristolpost.co.uk

The Bristol Post's 'running story' of the cycle protest with a video embedded. Doesn't look as if there are 100 cyclists let alone the 1,000 forecast. They are a nuisance for all that as they constantly cycle around the roundabout on the A38 at the main airport entrance.

All they do with this sort of protest is cause vehicles to queue using more fuel, pumping more muck into the atmosphere. They have a peculiar thought process if they want to cut down emissions.

Just 60 turned up according to the Press - not the 1,000 that the organisers said would participate. It was a warm and sunny day. There wouldn't have been 60 on a wet and windy day.

I wonder how many actually cycled all the way to the protest. I'd be surprised if more than a handful did. The rest probably brought their bikes in cars etc and parked up their vehicles nearby.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I'm still not aware when North Somerset Council planning committee will decide on the airport's planning application. Rumoured dates in the press have been put back a number of times with the latest suggested ones being September or October. I imagine that September is unlikely now.

BRS has also departed from its timeline re the new master plan which is closely allied to the planning application.

The public consultation for the new master plan began at the end of 2017 with the airport saying that a draft master plan would be published late in 2018 for further public consultation. This date was then pushed back to early 2019.

The airport then decided to submit a detailed planning application that would enable it to handle up to 12 mppa. Inevitably much of the reasoning behind the planning application would or should have been included in the early years part of the master plan.

I can understand why the airport jumped the gun in this way. They are fast approaching their current 10 mppa planning limit and no doubt realised that North Somerset Council would not expedite the application - understandably from their point of view and in particular because of the huge public interest. The airport would also have calculated, or should have done, that they might have to appeal the council's decision which would take even more time.

But wouldn't the airport have known all this when they set out on the public consulation trail at the end of 2017? Why go part way along the consultaiton path towards the new master plan, then halt and instead submit a planning application that had not been properly publicly consulted on as part of a new master plan?

The thing that the airport seems to concentrate on when it is answering expansion opponents, is that failure to expand will lead to many more people travelling by road to other airports, with Heathrow the one most obviously in mind.

I've long thought that might not be a clever response and could easily be thrown back in their face. Opponents will say - some are already saying it - that already people travel to BRS by road from outside the immediate catchment, with three million or so beginning or ending their journey each year in South Wales, Devon or Cornwall for example. If some of the services at BRS were relocated to airports serving those areas that would cut down on road journeys to and from BRS.

 

[Jerry]

I've long thought that might not be a clever response and could easily be thrown back in their face. Opponents will say - some are already saying it - that already people travel to BRS by road from outside the immediate catchment, with three million or so beginning or ending their journey each year in South Wales, Devon or Cornwall for example. If some of the services at BRS were relocated to airports serving those areas that would cut down on road journeys to and from BRS.

I guess in BRS view it's ok for people to travel long distance to get too them just not other airports! CWL uses the same argument when campaigning for APD to be devolved.

 

[tpm]

If some of the services at BRS were relocated to airports serving those areas that would cut down on road journeys to and from BRS.

Not sure how much that really matters, since it's not within the airport's gift to redistribute flights.

I'm not entirely convinced that this is really true either, since timing/frequency is usually rather important, so if you dilute frequencies at Bristol by adding a low-frequency service in the sticks, that might work for a few people (and would only work for a very very small number of destinations anyway), but many others will instead choose to trek to Heathrow (4.5h drive) or Gatwick instead of Bristol (2-2.5h drive), no?

I'm sure there are studies about that kind of thing?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I guess in BRS view it's ok for people to travel long distance to get too them just not other airports! CWL uses the same argument when campaigning for APD to be devolved.

Not sure how much that really matters, since it's not within the airport's gift to redistribute flights.

I'm not entirely convinced that this is really true either, since timing/frequency is usually rather important, so if you dilute frequencies at Bristol by adding a low-frequency service in the sticks, that might work for a few people (and would only work for a very very small number of destinations anyway), but many others will instead choose to trek to Heathrow (4.5h drive) or Gatwick instead of Bristol (2-2.5h drive), no?

I'm sure there are studies about that kind of thing?

I was talking about the principle rather than the practicalities when it comes to rebutting BRS's claim that more road journeys would ensue if the airport is not allowed to expand. I was not suggesting that BRS could or even would want to move routes to other airports (of course they would not want to, and as you point out it's not for them to decide which routes an airline flies), but what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander when it comes to additional road journeys to any airport, if fewer road journeys are to be made a virtue.

Many travellers go to LHR from the West Country for direct long-haul, which in nearly every case would not be viable at BRS, so those road journeys would continue even with BRS at 12 mppa. Looking at the BRS short-haul network, it is already extensive and surprisingly features quite a number of routes not operated from somewhere like BHX. In the future, assuming that BRS is allowed to expand further (I rarely assume anything), it's likely that much of the expansion will be in the form of additional frequencies on existing routes. This is badly needed from the travellers' viewpoint on many routes (and would result in more short-haul journeys being made throught BRS rather than LHR which is sometimes the case at present because of inadequate timings/frequency at the former airport) but it would also inevitably draw in even more passengers to BRS from outside its core catchment - by road in many cases.

An experienced Welsh airline executive once made the point on one of the Wales aviation message boards that if all the 'Welsh' passengers were using a handful of routes out of BRS then there would be a strong argument for airlines to operate more from CWL; however, it was likely that the 'Welsh' passengers were spread across many routes at BRS some of which were probably viable only because they were 'topped up' by travellers from/to neighbouring catchments, but that would not work in reverse because the neghbouring catchments including CWL were not as large in themselves and would need far more 'topping up' from outside.

Most of us who post to these boards have an interest in aviation but it might be that some of us forget at times that the general pubic have no such interest. They would not understand why the 1.5 million annual journeys made through BRS by 'Welsh' people can't simply be moved to CWL to cut down on road travel. My brother-in-law lives near Exeter but often has to use BRS. He says he can't understand why there are not more flights at EXT that he could use. I've explained more than once over the years, but from time to time he still repeats the question.

I'm simply saying that, if BRS wants to win the hearts and minds of ordinary people who have no idea or interest in the realities of airport and airline operations, they have to be careful how they go about it if their argument is not to be thrown back in their face.

To put my comments into perspective, I believe that BRS should be allowed to expand beyond 10 mppa.

 

[Jerry]

Most of us who post to these boards have an interest in aviation but it might be that some of us forget at times that the general pubic have no such interest. They would not understand why the 1.5 million annual journeys made through BRS by 'Welsh' people can't simply be moved to CWL to cut down on road travel. My brother-in-law lives near Exeter but often has to use BRS. He says he can't understand why there are not more flights at EXT that he could use. I've explained more than once over the years, but from time to time he still repeats the question.

Many aviation fans can't understand that as well. In the end people will go where the attractive brands are. I do think that the amount of people from Wales using Bristol is probably higher than it should be but the problem is that Bristol has the more attractive airlines in Easyjet for a big part and Ryanair as well and as each of them grows that attractiveness only gets stronger. What each airline will do if BRS gets capped is anyone's guess but with Easyjet I'm pretty confident that it won't involve Cardiff and Exeter.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Another poll has been carried out, this time seeking Westonians' views of the airport's expansion plans. The result comes in at 59% in favour and 16% against. I presume the other 25% are undecided.

I take it that the poll was commissioned by the airport, but that is not made clear in the press release. Although I'm naturally cautious of the results of polls that are commissioned by any interested organisation the results of this poll are broadly in line with the findings of straw polls conducted by local news media outlets across the region over many years which have consistently shown around a 70:30 split in favour of BRS expansion. Of interest would be any effect that the climate change lobby has had on people's views.

This is the airport's press release on the latest poll findings. The Mayor of Weston seems to be sitting on the fence.

Latest poll shows Weston backs Bristol Airport plans
A new poll has shown there is strong support for Bristol Airport’s development plans from residents of Weston-super-Mare.

www.bristolairport.co.uk
Latest poll shows Weston backs Bristol Airport plans
Created: 17th Oct 2019

A new poll has shown there is strong support for Bristol Airport’s development plans from residents of Weston-super-Mare.

Leading market research consultancy, ComRes, interviewed people in North Somerset’s largest town to find out views on proposals to increase the capacity of Bristol Airport. Those supporting the Airport’s plans outnumbered those opposing them by nearly four to one (59% vs 16%).

Nearly three quarters of those interviewed had heard about the Airport’s proposals to increase capacity from 10 to 12 million passengers a year.

Around 500 of the 4,000 people currently working at the Airport are residents of Weston. The proposed development will create more than 1,000 additional jobs at the Airport, with thousands more supported in the supply chain and the wider regional economy.

Earlier this month, Bristol Airport announced plans to provide an hourly service round-the-clock on the Weston Flyer bus which operates between Weston-super-Mare station and the terminal, making future employment opportunities even more accessible to the town’s residents. An improved timetable will also be accompanied by a change in route to incorporate Worle station, providing another link to the rail network for passengers.

Development plans would also provide a boost to Weston’s tourism industry, which itself employs 7,500 people (seven per cent of the town’s total workforce). Tourists flying into the region stay longer and spend more, with forecasts showing that increased connectivity delivered by the current development plans would contribute £380 million to the region’s visitor economy by the mid-2020s.

Dave Lees, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol Airport, said:

“Bristol Airport’s continued success will deliver increased connectivity with the rest of the world, careers for local people and opportunities for businesses in construction and the wider supply chain. We welcome this show of support for our exciting development plans.”

Councillor Mark Canniford, Mayor of Weston-super-Mare said:

“Clearly the creation of good jobs and opportunities at Bristol Airport is very important to our town and local economy. This has to be done with sensitivity to our neighbours and environment, but as part of our modern way of life we have to find ways to allow business to expand to create wealth for our residents. This will never be an easy decision as expansions is very controversial to many, but the survey seems to show broad support for Bristol Airport and their future plans.”

Quote Quote

 

[superking]

The report is in this weeks Weston mercury and its nearly word for word the same. Im trying to work out who has written this report and I cant as we know how both are with reports.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The report is in this weeks Weston mercury and its nearly word for word the same. Im trying to work out who has written this report and I cant as we know how both are with reports.

That's what a lot of local newspapers do. They take a press release issued by an organisation then often publish it nearly verbatim but sometimes with the odd linking comment to give the impression the report is the newspaper's own work.