Greens demand council oppose airport expansion plans

Written by Pete Goodwin Saturday, 28 March 2009

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Airplane Trails crossing

The Green Party has demanded that councillors oppose plans to expand Bristol International Airport.

[see also update at foot of page]

Green Councillor Charlie Bolton has submitted a motion to Tuesday's full council [Note 1] calling on officers to register the council’s opposition to any planning application.

This follows a pre-application submitted by BIA to North Somerset Council. Bristol City is a consultee in the application.

Greens believe there is a clear case against airport expansion in economic and climate change terms. Aviation emissions are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases.

Charlie BoltonCllr Bolton said: ‘Recent climate change legislation demands an 80% reduction in emissions. Allowing an expansion in Bristol International Airport would be absurd in this context. We need to curb growth in airports, not encourage it – or our children will pay a very heavy price.’

It is also clear that improvements in the efficiency of aircraft will be insufficient to counteract the rising demand – a fact recently confirmed by scientists at the Tyndall Centre. [Note 2]

Regarding jobs, the Stop BIA expansion campaign have demonstrated that expanding the airport will lead to a nett loss of jobs – because of a tourism deficit, rather than the other way round.

Cllr Bolton said

‘The problem is more people fly out than come in – hence we end up losing rather than gaining, in economic terms.

I call on my fellow councillors to send the strongest possible message that airport expansion is bad for the economy, bad for the environment and therefore needs to be stopped. As such, I urge them to support this motion‘

Cllr Bolton, currently the city's only Green councillor, submitted a similar resolution in 2006. Although that was defeated [Note 3], Charlie hopes that by now, with ever increasing evidence of the threat of climate change, other parties will have changed their position.

Vapour trails making a cross

Notes:

  1. The motion before the Council reads:

    2. BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT EXPANSION

    This Council does not believe that expansion of Bristol International Airport is necessary for the economic success of Bristol, nor does it believe it is compatible with the target of 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions introduced by the Climate Change Act 2008. This council believes that the Airport should focus on becoming economically and environmentally sustainable without further increasing emissions and other external impacts.

    Council therefore instructs officers to pass these views to North Somerset council and also instructs officers to ensure these views are passed on with any application to expand the airport.
  2. Source: 'Aviation in a Low-Carbon EU' from the multidisciplinary Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, for Friends of the Earth, September 2007. Download report summary here (pdf)
  3. At the September 2006 council meeting, Charlie's motion was emasculated by a joint LibDem/Labour amendment voted through by the other parties. Detail here (at end of Minutes)

Contact Charlie Bolton, 0117 966 1639

 

Outcome:

In the event, Charlie's motion was wrecked by an amendment proposed by the Labour group with Tory support.  A further LibDem amendment, though carried, could not repair the damage.

The final Resolution reads:

RESOLVED - (i) that this Council, in line with its reviously agreed policy (September 2006) “recognises Bristol International airport as part of the essential Infrastructure of Bristol as a European City and additionally recognises the key role of the airport as a generator of economic growth and high quality employment in the Bristol Sub-region, the South West Region and especially it's potential for supporting the regeneration of South Bristol”;


(ii) that further, in line with the City Council's commitment to the Nottingham Declaration which requires 60% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, and also taking account of the greater target of 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions introduced by the Climate Change Act 2008, this council believes that BIA should focus on becoming economically and environmentally sustainable without further increasing emissions and other external impacts;


(iii) that Council therefore further asks that Bristol International Airport in submitting any further planning application must demonstrate that significant and far-reaching improvements in public transport for airport customers are to be secured, and also that any future plans should minimise any increase in congestion and noise pollution suffered by residents in the Bristol area;

(iv) that Council therefore instructs officers to pass these views on to Bristol International Airport and also instructs officers to ensure these views are passed on to North Somerset Council when they consult Bristol as a neighbouring authority on any application to expand the airport;

(v) that, however, Council also appreciates that simply curtailing Bristol Airport Expansion plans will not by itself lead to a reduction in the emissions. National and International action is therefore needed to assist the city and the country in meeting the targeted 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050 needed to avoid catastrophic climate change;

and
(vi) that Council therefore mandates the Leader of Council to write to the city's MPs and to the Secretary of State for Transport calling for fairer and greener taxation on air travel, the revenue from which to be ring fenced for improving high-speed rail links within the UK (including electrification of the London- Bristol line) as a viable low-carbon alternative to domestic flights.