PLANS to expand Bristol airport to cater for 12 million passengers annually have been approved despite local opposition.

Permission has been granted for the development of Bristol Airport to enable 12 million terminal passengers in any 12-month calendar period.

The proposed expansion plans include:

  • extensions to the terminal building and canopies over the forecourt of the main terminal building;
  • erection of new east walkway and pier with vertical circulation cores and pre-board zones;
  • 5m high acoustic timber fence;
  • construction of a new service yard directly north of the western walkway;
  • erection of a multi-storey car park north west of the terminal building with five levels providing approximately 2,150 spaces;
  • enhancement to the internal road system including gyratory road with internal surface car parking and layout changes;
  • enhancements to airside infrastructure including construction of new eastern taxiway link and taxiway widening (and fillets) to the southern edge of Taxiway GOLF;
  • the year-round use of the existing Silver Zone car park extension (Phase 1) with associated permanent (fixed) lighting and CCTV;
  • extension to the Silver Zone car park to provide approximately 2,700 spaces (Phase 2);
  • the provision of on-site renewable energy generation;
  • improvements to the A38;
  • operating within a rolling annualised cap of 4,000 night flights between the hours of 11.30pm and 6am, with no seasonal restrictions
  • landscaping and associated works.

Bristol Airport opened in 1957 and is the main airport for the South West of England, providing a range of international and domestic flights.

Dave Lees, CEO, Bristol Airport said: “The decision is excellent news for our region’s economy, allowing us to create thousands of new jobs in the years ahead and provide more choice for our customers, supporting inbound tourism, and reducing the millions of road journeys made to London airports each year.

"We will now push ahead with our multi-million-pound plans for net zero operations by 2030 and look forward to working with stakeholders and the community to deliver sustainable growth.”

However, Bristol's Green Party councillors have said that the airport’s net-zero claims do not extend to flights or car parking.

They claim that claims of a ‘net zero airport’ are misleading.