'No compelling reason' for court to intervene with Bristol Airport's expansion plans
Despite raising thousands of pounds to fund a legal team, the fight by a local campaign group to halt plans to expand Bristol Airport has been lost
Last updated 15th Jun 2024
Bristol Airport say they 'welcome' a decision by the High Court who found 'no compelling reason' to intervene with expansion plans.
Earlier this year, the Bristol Airport Action Network raised more than £13,000 to send the decision to the Court of Appeal.
In their Crowdjustice post, those behind the crowdfunder said they'd taken legal advice from their King's Counsel.
The group were told there were 'several' grounds for appeal because of the 'devastation' the expansion could cause on the environment.
Back in February, they said: "We cannot allow this decision to go unchallenged. Apart from the devastation the airport's plans will cause to the climate, the extra congestion, additional night flights and damage to the Green Belt, it will also be used as a precedent for the numerous other regional airports with plans to expand. WE HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED TO APPEAL TO THE COURT OF APPEAL."
However, this appeal has now been refused on all grounds by the Rt. Hon. Lady Justice Andrews DBE, with the judge saying none of the grounds put forward at the Court of Appeal had any 'real prospect' of success.
The approval's been hailed by the airport as 'excellent news' for the economy, with passengers expected to reach 12 million a year.
A spokesperson from Bristol Airport said: “Bristol Airport welcomes the Court’s decision to uphold the planning permission to increase Bristol Airport’s capacity from 10 million to 12 million passengers per annum providing enhanced customer facilities for the region’s gateway for air travel.
"The decision is excellent news for our region’s economy, allowing us to create thousands of new jobs in the years ahead and open-up new direct links, and support inbound tourism.
"We will now take forward our multi-million-pound plans for net zero operations by 2030 and look forward to working with stakeholders and the community to deliver responsible growth.”