High Court appeal to stop Bristol Airport expansion begins

Climate campaigners have held a protest at the start of a High Court appeal over plans to expand Bristol Airport.

North Somerset Council rejected the expansion in 2020 on environmental grounds, but was later overruled by the government's Planning Inspectorate.

Expansion would allow the airport to welcome 12 million passengers per year, up from 10 million currently, it said.

Airport bosses said the move would also reduce millions of road journeys made to London airports each year.

The two-day hearing which began earlier at Bristol's Civil Justice Centre will examine whether the Planning Inspectorate acted correctly when granting planning permission in February.

The appeal has been mounted by the Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN), which will argue planning inspectors were wrong to ignore the impact a bigger airport would have on climate change.

But the inspectorate, which is an agency of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, say a local planning decision cannot overturn national government policy.

It says the UK's aviation policy is not against regional airport growth.

More than 100 people demonstrated outside the court before the hearing opened.

Steve Clarke, one of BAAN's coordinators, said: "This is about the process that was used to reach the decision.

"We say the process was wrong. We say the policies weren't interpreted correctly and we say the decision, because of that, is unlawful, and should be quashed.

"This is the biggest carbon decision for a generation in this region."

"There are 19 other airports queuing up behind Bristol - waiting to expand. If that happens, there's no way we can reach our legal climate targets."

A spokesman for Bristol Airport said the plans "would allow thousands of jobs to be created and open up new direct links and support inbound tourism".

So why did Planning Inspectors say yes to a bigger airport for Bristol? And can the protestors beat them in the High Court?

There are at least six legal arguments being made in the High Court. Campaigners have legal muscle, many of them are retired solicitors.

But the central case is simple: They will argue that planning inspectors were wrong to ignore the impact of a bigger airport on climate change.

The inspectors are planning specialists. In their decision in February they explained they had listened carefully to all the concerns about more flights meaning more carbon emissions, and more global heating.

But they said a local planning decision could not overturn national government policy. UK aviation policy, they said, was not against growth. Certainly not against regional airport growth.

To quote their ruling directly: "There is no national policy which seeks to limit airport expansion. This is not supported by national policy."

Campaigners will argue there is a national policy to limit carbon emissions to "net zero" by 2050, and that more flying would be detrimental to that aim.

Will the High Court judge agree with them? Councils, campaigners and airports across the country will watch with interest. The local council said no.

The directly elected (Labour) Metro Mayor Dan Norris does not want it. The (Conservative) Local MP Liam Fox said he was "hugely disappointed" when the expansion plans were allowed.

Bath's Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse called it a "bleak day for our planet". Of the 11,000 local people who responded to a consultation, 84% were against it.

Among the protestors was North Somerset Green councillor Bridget Petty, who was on the committee that originally rejected the plans on environmental grounds in 2020.

Ms Petty said: "Our democracy was stripped from us.

"The government has recognised the climate change act and they need to get on with making difficult decisions because they need to protect our future."

When the decision was made, the planning inspectorate said it recognised the "major disappointment" campaigners would have, but the benefits would outweigh the harm to green belt land.

The judge is expected to take several weeks to reach a decision.

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