Bristol Airport Expansion
A council meeting tonight (Wednesday) could give the go ahead for Bristol airport to almost double in size.
The airport say the current terminal isn't big enough anymore and that the car park needs to be imporved and made bigger so they can cope with more passengers. They reckon bigger planes mean there won't actually have to be more flights.
Council planning officers have reccomended the plans should get the green light despite more than five thousand objections.
The airport say they recognise the concerns of local residents and have worked to minimize the impact the expansion plans would have on them.
If it gets the go ahead the airport will give:
- More than 4 million pounds towards the cost of a new link road between the A370 and A38
- 1.25 million towards phase one of the Bristol rapid transit route from Long Ashton park and ride to the city centre
- One Hundred Thousand Pounds towards lessening the noise impact on local houses
- Two Hundred Thousand Pounds towards traffic calming measures in Barow Gurney.
There will also be a restriction on the number of nightflights (between 11:30pm-6am)
But campaigners from the Stop Bristol Expnaison Group say the airport is big enough as it is. At the very least they want passenger numbers capped at 8 million per year.
They also dispute the airports claim that the expansion will create more than 3 thousand jobs.
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