Bristol airport's plans 'unite community' in opposition

Today marks the final day of the public inquiry into Bristol Airport's controversial expansion plans. The airport wants to expand its terminal and transport facilities so that up to 12 million passengers can use it - a 30% rise on the 8.5 million people a year who currently do.

North Somerset Council refused planning permission for the expansion last year and has been defending that decision at the inquiry.

But what's it like to live on the airport's doorstep? BBC Radio Bristol's political reporter Pete Simson has been to talk to people who live under the flight path on the Mendip Hills.

As you approach Bristol Airport from the city, there's a tiny right hand turn which takes you into the equally tiny village of Felton. Blink and you'll miss it.

It's here I meet Claire Czajkowska and Neil Davidge, who live with their young son and flock of chickens. They have lived in the village for eight years.

Ms Czajkowska said: "We are in the middle of an acre and a half surrounded by chickens. It's very quiet but when a plane goes over the contrast is quite stark.

"They wake us up at half five in the morning- it's very loud. When they're taking off this way you can hear them in the garden and in the house and sometimes you have to stop speaking."

The couple acknowledge the house and land was affordable due to its proximity to the airport, which is just two miles (3.2km) away.

"We bought the house knowing fully that the airport was there and was noisy."

Mr Davidge, a musician who has produced for bands like Massive Attack, has to stop working when the planes go over as they produce a tone that is out of key with the music he is writing.

For a passionate opponent of the airport's expansion, Ms Czajkowska has a surprising affinity with flying, having grown up in Switzerland and with family in Ireland and Poland.

"We've been hopping on planes for as far back as I remember. I'm not against any of that," she said.

"But we've got to get real now, we've got to get sensible."

For Mr Davidge, how the expansion will impact his children and grandchildren is the main concern.

"We're the first generation that actually knows we're going to leave the world in a worse place for our children and I think that is terrible," he said.

"We shouldn't be expanding like this, we need to reduce emissions. We need to take better responsibility for this world."

Government inspectors have spent the past three months listening to evidence from all sides, and will have to decide whether or not they can expand their passenger numbers, flights, car-parking spaces - increasing jobs in the process. It's a huge decision.

On the other side of the hill, as the jet engines roar for take-off, another opponent shares his somewhat contradictory emotions.

"Part of me is quite excited listening to that," said Steve Hogg.

He is the independent district councillor for the village of Wrington and its surroundings, and, despite being a fervent critic of the expansion plans, it turns out he's a trained pilot.

"People have called me a hypocrite. But there's a difference between pootling around in a microlight and 5,000 extra cars on the greenbelt."

For Mr Hogg, the issue has united local people like no other.

"In the summer I spoke at an Extinction Rebellion protest, then met with local [Conservative] MP Liam Fox the same day. We are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

"Wrington has a very real window on the airport's activities as do Cleeve and Winford- lots of rural communities surround Bristol Airport."

He said he would support an expansion related to an innovation in aviation but added "this is about cheap holidays to the Med and that's what it's always been about".

"How can you expand a rural airport in the heart of a community like this in the middle of a climate crisis?"

Local people, however, also happen to work at Bristol Airport, and in the summer I was given access to some of their loyal, everyday staff.

Christine is the terminal operations controller, overseeing the day to day running of the airport.

She said: "When I was younger my parents used to bring me and my brother here to watch planes at the end of the runway. I always wanted to work here."

The animosity from opponents hurts, she says, especially as "we don't make the big decisions but we are doing the daily things to do our bit, things no-one notices unless you work here".

The airport does indeed have plans to become "net zero" by 2030.

An impressive feat in isolation, but given this target doesn't include emissions from flights or those travelling to and from the airport it has led to accusations of "greenwashing" by some critics.

Later that morning procurement manager Susannah proudly explains the work they are doing to reduce emissions from buying sustainable products to using electric vehicles on site.

Her straight-talking manner is endearing and when I challenge her on the contradiction of doing this while increasing flights, I get a most un-corporate response.

"Will you stop going on holiday? Will you stop flying because of carbon? If you ask that of everybody, I'm not sure they will."

It's her firmly-held belief that technology will make the industry less polluting in time, as cleaner ways to fly are developed.

Back in Felton, it's a belief that's enthusiastically welcomed by Ms Czajkowska: "Fabulous. Do that. Get the planes running on clean fuels, with less noise. Then come back and ask us to expand."

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