Naughty Bristol Airport

The Stop Bristol Airport Expansion group write: "Despite promising not to submit a planning application in the school holidays, at almost the last possible moment before Christmas Bristol Airport 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."

All sounds very innocent and indeed insignificant. However on closer investigation the development that has been applied for will allow an increase in passenger throughput and increased flight movements ie more traffic on roads, more noise and more light pollution plus of course more flights will add to the region’s CO2 emissions.

Please visit the Stop Bristol Expansion website to read more about the actions you can take - my email is already winging it's way. Let us hope it will make a difference. I have had a keen interest in this issue for some years - over two years ago I made a formal submission to the Airports Master Plan and have since made various other submissions.

The other news on airports is that Cheltenham have produced a ridiculous report supporting Staverton Airports' expansion - a blog coming soon on that and the SW Regional Spatial Strategy is also out - also disappointing in terms of CO2 although I have yet to assess the damage.....again a blog coming soon on that....at least the RSS did support the development at Hunts Grove (see previous blogs on that issue).

Let us not forget the Governments' "Future of Air Transport White Paper" from Dec 2003 calls for massive growth in aviation. It was confirmed in Dec 2006 that this approach was - wait for it - 'balanced and sustainable'....Interestingly I read in The Ecologist that 13% of 16 to 19 year olds are in favour of banning air travel for leisure purposes according to a Future Foundation survey. It seems at least some are waking up to the very real threat aviation poses to our planet. There is no way we can support expansion when all the evidence shows we must cut emissions.....