The planning application for Bristol Airport Expansion is progressing. More and more voices are coming out against this expansion and more are realising that the claimed jobs growth and economic benefit for the area needs careful scrutiny. Many of us think the economic benefit is all out of our area and that this airport is a one way export of benefit from the region to the destination cities as the airport is simply not bringing people in other than Brits returning from holiday.

The following letter was published in The Guardian on Monday 17 August, signed by Dale Vince, Ecotricity, Peter Lockley World Wildlife Fund, Dr Alison Doig Christian Aid, Steve Grainger Avon Wildlife Trust, Richard Archer Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Tim Baster Climate Outreach and Information Network (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/aug/17/bristol-aiport-carbon-emissions), who all concluded that that “the claimed economic benefits do not justify the damage that will be caused to the local environment by the physical impact of the expansion, as well as to the global environment by the increased emissions [resulting from Bristol International Airport’s expansion].

 The story was covered in the Bristol Evening Post on 18 August (http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Green-campaigners-unite-ground-Bristol-airport-s-150m-expansion-plans/article-1261696-detail/article.html)