A crowd of 40 people gathered on the roundabout at the entrance to Bristol Airport on Wednesday to protest the expansion of the airport and to demonstrate their vigilance in ensuring the airport sticks to the conditions of its planning permission.
Bristol Airport has sought to expand since 2018 and in May overcame the last legal hurdle to secure planning permission and begin works to increase passenger numbers, remodel the main building and build a new multi-storey car park on greenbelt land adjoining the existing car park.
Campaigners and local people are concerned about the impact the expansion will have on the local area. Under the terms of the planning permission, Bristol Airport will see an extra 23,800 flights per year, including 4,000 night flights, which local residents fear will increase noise levels.
The expansion is also estimated to lead to an additional 10,000 car journeys to and from the airport every day, adding to congestion on local roads.
Ahead of Wednesday’s demonstration, Richard Baxter, from Bristol Airport Action Network, said: ‘We still feel the decision is vastly short-sighted and ill-conceived on many levels. The strength of opposition to the growth of the airport and the worries of increased greenhouse gas emissions were completely ignored by the Planning Inspectors and the courts. Local democracy has been trashed and the impact on the environment was deemed to be inconsequential. This is putting profit and greed before people and planet.’
Protesters gathered with banners, placards and cardboard eyes to symbolise their watchfulness over the airport amid what they describe as a “lack of trust”.
Earlier this year campaigners against the expansion of Leeds Bradford airport found that the airport was operating 747 more night flights than permitted, a surplus of 25%.
All images: Wong Yat Him
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