News Release (21/01/09)
Six week pre-application consultation begins
Bristol International Airport is putting its development plans on show as part of a six week pre-application consultation process aimed at gathering views on the scheme.
Following consultation, the airport will submit a planning application to North Somerset Council for a range of improvements to the airport’s facilities and services. This will include proposals to extend the terminal building, provide additional car parking and create new aircraft stands, enabling the airport to handle 10 million passengers per annum (just over 6 million used the airport in 2008).
The completed scheme represents significant investment by Bristol International Airport, and studies estimate it will generate around 4,000 additional jobs in the South West and bring up to £343 million into the region.
Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer at Bristol International Airport, said:
“This development will enable the airport to meet the growing demand for air travel to and from the South West. The new facilities will make the airport better for our passengers, allowing us to improve the service and range of flights available to local business and leisure travellers. It will also help us attract tourists directly into the region, supporting the local economy.
“Airports remain vital to economic prosperity and quality of life in the regions they serve. Environmental effects need to be balanced against these benefits – that’s why we have carefully assessed the impacts of our proposals and brought forward a range of mitigation measures to be considered along with our development proposals. We look forward to discussing these plans with local people and working with them to find a sustainable solution.”
The proposed development will be concentrated within existing operational areas, with the exception of a small area to the south which will be used for additional car parking.
Reducing the reliance on car journeys to and from the airport by passengers and staff is central to the development plans. As part of a commitment to encourage use of public transport, a new public transport interchange will be sited on top of a new multi-storey car park and linked to the terminal by a covered pedestrian footbridge. Bristol International will contribute to improvements to the local transport infrastructure, working with local authorities and the community to identify priorities. Bus services between the airport and Bath and Weston-super-Mare are also being considered.
The forecast increase in the number of people using the airport would generate, on average, an additional five to six flights per hour between 6am and 11pm (a mixture of arrivals and departures). The airport’s noise impact will be carefully managed and controlled through a range of measures including encouraging airlines to operate quieter aircraft and imposing penalties on those which exceed agreed limits. No relaxation of the current night-flying restrictions will be sought.
The proposed development will be designed to achieve a high standard of energy efficiency with at least 20 per cent of the predicted additional energy requirements coming from on site renewable sources, including wind power and biomass heat generation.
The consultation will run until 6th March, with staffed exhibitions taking place in the airport’s administration building on:
| Thursday 22nd January |
12:00 - 20:00 |
| Friday 23rd January |
11:00 - 15:00 |
| Saturday 24th January |
10:00 - 14:00 |
From Monday 26th January to Friday 6th March the exhibition can be viewed between 09:00 and 17:00, with feedback forms available.