A note for Timsbury Parish Council February 2017
Introduction
The P.C.A.A. is one of a number of bodies of which Timsbury Parish Council is a member, and which give it access to expert advice and can help to put forward the Parish Council’s views.
Background to the P.C.A.A.
The P.C.A.A. was set up when residents around Lulsgate recognised the value of a community body, wider then individual parish councils, to represent local interest in matters associated with Bristol airport. As the airport has expanded, its impact has increased and the membership of the P.C.A.A. has grown and now around 20 parish council members mostly from North Somerset and Bath & North East Somerset districts. Timsbury Parish Council has been a member since about 2000 at which time the airport was seeking to increase its quota of night flights. Further formal information about the P.C.A.A. is given in Appendix I below
Major concerns of the P.C.A.A.
These have gained strong, even unanimous, support over many years:- to enable the community to enjoy the benefits of the airport while:
1. Trying to prevent an increase in noise annoyance by day and night; trying to reduce noise impacts;
2. Containing, preferable reducing, the impact of airports on local infrastructure – road congestion & green belt;
3. Developing aviation in such a way as is consistent with government greenhouse gas emission targets.
Responses to local and national consultations
The P.C.A.A. liaises with parish councils & works through AGM, quarterly meetings, its General Purpose & Finance Committee and Working Groups which draft responses to major consultations e.g.:
July 2014 Response to the Airports Commission Delivery of New Airport Capacity
Feb 2015 Response to NSC Sites and Plan Policies Plan Part 1 – Development Management Policies
Dec 2015 Response to the West of England Transport Study
June 2016 CAA proposals for a revised airspace change process
Nov 2016 Response to W of E Transport Plan Consultation
Dec 2016 Response to Article 4 Direction Airport Parking
Some consultation responses of major concern to Timsbury
• 2002 Night noise consultation. Comment Airport eventually dropped its proposal
• 2006 Bristol Airport’s Master Plan consultation Comment Influenced 2009 planning application
• 2009 Bristol airport planning application (Timsbury P.C. response v. Appendix II)
Specialised advice & reports commissioned
P.C.A.A. subscribes to the Aviation Environment Federation & Transport 2000 which gives member parishes access to specialised advice.
Occasionally the P.C.A.A. has been able to commission its own reports in areas of local (as opposed to national) concern, e.g. The Economic Impact of Bristol International Airport by Professor John Whitelegg October 2005. This demonstrated that aviation tourism represents a net drain on the U.K. economy, as those tourists leaving the U.K. spend far more abroad than tourists entering the country. It pointed to the public subsidy (about £10 billion p.a.) in addition to the taxpayer’s paying for significant additional infrastructure costs (e.g. road building to facilitate airport access).
Current concerns
Since the 2009 planning permission the P.C.A.A. has been concerned with several applications which the airport has submitted to N.S.C. which would lead to increased parking on the Green Belt.
The 2009 planning permission authorised expansion to 10 mppa. Recent evidence has emerged indicating that further growth – 15 mppa by 2036 – is still very much on the airport agenda. [Bristol South West Economic Link Option Development Report, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, July 2016]
There is a current noise consultation on the night flight quota system for some London airports which could have implications for Bristol.
Climate change impacts: There is a fundamental contradiction between the carbon reduction requirements of the Climate Change Act and the Paris climate agreement, and the aviation industry’s projected expansion. The present projections give aviation an emissions increase of 120% over its 1990 levels, whereas nationally a decrease of 80% is required. This means that for aviation to enjoy this increase, the rest of industry and civil society must achieve a 90% reduction in emissions.
Appendix I
Aims and Objectives of the P.C.A.A. (edited extracts)
To minimise the adverse effects the operation of Bristol International Airport has on residents of communities in the region, and on the wider environment, whilst recognizing the economic and other benefits the airport can bring to this region.
To provide a forum for the discussion of all aspects of activities at the airport for all affected parishes.
To maintain effective communication with senior management at the airport with a view to minimising the adverse impact of the airport’s activities on local communities.
To recognize and support proper complaints brought by residents regarding either the environmental aspects or the operational impact on the surrounding area.
To monitor proposed developments at the airport, collating views of Parish councils in planning or other matters, seeking inclusion of appropriate planning conditions, and making representations to all the relevant regulatory bodies.
P.C.A.A.: Working Procedures (edited extracts)
Membership of the PCAA is open to any parish concerned about the impact of the operation of Bristol airport. Member parishes each appoint an individual to represent them at PCAA meetings, according to whatever criteria seem appropriate to them. [Most, but not all, P.Cs. appoint a councillor.]
AGM The present subscription is £50 p.a.
Quarterly meetings: The General Purpose & Finance Committee (GP&F) comprises the Chair and Vice Chair (ex officio) and three other members, elected by the AGM who shall be signatories for the PCAA bank account.
The Working Group is convened as and when necessary by the Chair, for instance to formulate a response to a major application, public inquiry or consultation.
Annual accounts to 31.3.16 (extracts)
Income (subscriptions) £900
Expenditure (mostly hall hire and secretarial expenses) £392
Balance 31.3.16 £4,240
Appendix II
Timsbury Parish Council: Response to North Somerset Council to the consultation on Bristol airport planning application reference: 09/P/1020/OT2. July 2007
When North Somerset Council considers Bristol Airport’s planning application, we would like it to consider fully the points below
The application gives no realistic prospect of solving the following serious problems:
(i) the increasingly serious green house gas emissions associated with the airport’s activities; 0.949 Mt CO2 alone p.a.; 1.7Mt to 2.6 Mt CO2 equivalent when non-CO2 emissions from aircraft are counted by 2019, more beyond this;
(ii) the expectation that at least 80% of passengers will still travel to the airport by car in 2019, meaning road congestion and an increase in carbon emissions also car park provision for 21109 vehicles occupying an area larger than 66 full-sized football pitches including some 12 hectares of Green Belt;
(iii) lack of detail for the further massive expansion to 13.8 mppa between 2019 to 2030.
We therefore favour capping the growth of BIA at 8 mppa.
Noise pollution
Timsbury is many miles outside any of the noise annoyance contours which Bristol airport is prepared to recognise, yet we already suffer increasing annoyance both at day and night, and are seriously concerned at what this impact will become if the airport expands, as currently envisaged, from almost 4 million passengers p.a. at the time of the White Paper to 10 million passengers p.a. in 2019, rising to 13.8 million passengers p.a. in 2030. We fear that without tighter controls, there is a definite possibility of a large increase in the number of night flights within the present quota count.
We therefore further recommend that (a) the night noise quota be not increased and (b) that a cap be applied of 2500 maximum night movement per annum with subsequent year on year reduction, within this, a nightly cap of 10 flights should apply.
D. E. Packham 24.1.17