Our future
We're planning for the future to ensure we meet the demand for air travel to and from the region we serve
Planning application
A planning application was submitted to North Somerset Council in December 2018 to expand capacity from the current limit of 10 million passengers per annum (mppa) to 12mppa. This included terminal expansion, improved public transport options, road infrastructure, and enhanced environmental projects.
Expanding capacity is projected to add 800 jobs at Bristol Airport and up to a further 5,000 jobs regionally, with a focus on the region’s most deprived areas. It will also bring an estimated £430 million to the economy of the South West of England and South Wales at a time when this could not be more crucial.
North Somerset Council refused the planning application at its Planning and Regulatory Committee in March 2020. This decision was taken against the advice of its own planning officers. Bristol Airport submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in September 2020 and a public inquiry ran from July to October 2021, which also dealt with a separate Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO).
In February 2022, the Planning Inspectorate announced its decision to allow Bristol Airport’s appeal to expand our capacity – their report can be read in full here.
Master Plan
Government encourages airports to produce Master Plans to enable future development to be given due consideration in local planning processes.
Bristol Airport has published two consultation documents on the Master Plan:
- Your Airport: your views – a world of opportunities (November 2017)
- Your airport: your views – towards 2050 (May 2018).
The 2018 consultation document included the introduction of a phased approach to delivery with the 12mppa planning application as the first phase. This was in response to consultation responses, providing a clear direction of travel through to 2026. It was the intention to consult on the final draft of the Master Plan in 2018/2019. The planning application was submitted to North Somerset Council in December 2018 and it was decided to pause the Master Plan whilst these plans were considered.
Bristol Airport are committed to finalising the Master Plan which will be produced once the planning appeal is decided. This will allow us to provide certainty to the local community up to 12mppa which we currently anticipate will be reached in 2030. This approach also allows the updated forecasts to be taken into account.
Bristol Airport published its first Master Plan in 2006.
View consultation documents:
Consultation 1: Your airport: your views - a world of opportunities
Consultation 2: Your airport: your views - towards 2050