Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[White Heather]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

That all sounds a rather familiar scenario and one we almost had here at Leeds Bradford. The position at BRS seems even more complex though what with two councils - one is bad enough to deal with but TWO???

That is bad. Very bad!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Heather,

I know Leeds City Council can be a huge pain but physical Bristol, as opposed to municipal Bristol, is actually run by four councils - Bristol City, South Gloucestershire, Bath & Northeast Somerset (B&NES) and North Somerset.

Each covers part of the urban core with Bristol City and South Gloucestershire the bulk - Bristol 420,000 population and S Glos around 200,000 (known locally as North Bristol by many - it's where the Filton airfield is located for instance), and you can't see the join in the suburbs - to an outsider it looks like one city.

All other cities would have extended their boundary to cover the entire urban wedge but not Bristol, for parochial local government reasons.

That's why it's so hard to get anything done - for example Bristol lost its tram funding from central government because Bristol and S Glos could not agree on the location for the northern terminus of the line. They're now arguing about where a new park and ride should be built near the M 32's northern end.

The only agreement between all four councils is their lack of enthusiasm for airport expansion but if they prevail some good will come of it.................................at places like CWL, EXT and BHX.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

[textarea]Airport expansion 'vital' to Bristol's future prosperity

The plans to expand Bristol International Airport are vital for long-term economic regeneration in south Bristol, an expert has said.

Ned Cussen, partner at international property consultants King Sturge and the firm's national airport expert, said: "While the environmental impacts of any expansion of the airport need to be recognised and explored fully, the development is, I believe, vital to the future regeneration of south Bristol and the surrounding area."

Mr Cussen pointed to the examples of other major European cities where airports have been significant factors in driving economic growth.

"In my experience, based on UK and foreign instances, it is patently clear that airports throughout Europe are the major economic growth generators and it is hugely important for our future prosperity that we follow their lead," he said. "This is a very important issue, not just for the region but also for the future of Bristol, and regional planning highlights the importance of the airport to the regeneration of south Bristol. Any hurdles to its expansion will undoubtedly set us back."

He added: "Many other influential voices have also aired similar concerns about any constraints to the airport's growth, including the Regional Development Agency and Business West, both of whom are strong supporters of the airport."[/textarea]

link: http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Air ... ticle.html

Business in general is supportive of the airport's expansion but the local politicians seem to be siding with the antis, which is surprising when it comes to the Tory Party, the supposed party of business.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

That is a strange one. Here the Tory shadow Home Secretary visited Leeds Bradford Airport in support of our development. So it would seem that the Tory national aviation policy is different from the one in Bristol?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The local Tory MPs, Liam Fox (shadow something or other - Defence?) and John Penrose, who cover North Somerset between them, believe, like the Liberal-led Bristol City council, that before any expansion can be contemplated the airport must initiate all sorts of things such as paying a major contribution for improving the road infrastructure in a wide area when they know full well that any suggestion of new roads would bring the same protests from the same people who are protesting against airport expansion.

About three years ago at the time of the proposed purchase of Exeter Airport by the owners of BRS (who became the preferred bidders) there was all sports of crying and wailing in the far South West because people believed EXT would become a poor relation.

Now amongst the objectors were the Tory MEPs for the South West, on the grounds that it would be detrimental to the economy of the Exeter/Devon region. As I'm sure you know MEPs aren't elected for a constituency but for an entire region.

However, the Tories gave their MEPs responsibility for designated sections of the South West and who do you think was one of the loudest objectors? The Tory MEP who was responsible for the the Bristol area.

I wrote to her and pointed out she should be more interested in what was good for Bristol not Devon. Her colleague had that responsibility. I received a typical reply from a politician that was risible in content and made no attempt to address the issue I had raised.

I've just received a similar sort of reply from the Liberal Leader of Bristol City Council when I asked her why she was trying to emasculate the economy of the Bristol region by opposing airport expansion.

Her main thrust was along the lines that a balance must be struck and sometimes the quality of life of a few dozen villagers must take precedence over the prosperity of a sub region of the entire country.

A couple of years ago I had correspondence with an aspiring Welsh Assembly Tory member who was publicly advocating the expansion of CWL, using as part of his weaponry the taking of routes and passengers from BRS.

So it seems that BRS has little political support locally.

But politicians are so fickle - I know it's an obvious statement.

When BAConnect sold out to Flybe who promptly closed the BRS base the same Penrose MP who doesn't want expansion of the airport was vocal in the local media demanding the airport seek other carriers for the lost routes so jobs would be safeguarded.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The local Tory MPs, Liam Fox (shadow something or other - Defence?)

😀

That's how I normally remember them as. (or don't remember them :smile: )

Bloody councillors and MP's. They all need their heads knocking together by the sounds of things!!!

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

[textarea]Council objects to airport plan

Politicians in Bath have objected to the £150 million expansion of Bristol International Airport amid fears over climate change.

Bosses at the airport have accused councillors on Bath and North East Somerset Council of being swayed by "emotional" arguments over the fate of their plans to double its size.

The final decision on the plan, which would see passenger numbers increase to 10 million in the next eight years, rests with North Somerset Council.

B&NES this week voted to ask its neighbouring authority to reject the airport's planning application.

But the Bath councillors conceded that their colleagues in North Somerset might ignore their advice, and have put forward a series of suggested conditions about road improvements, noise and night flights.


The motion to urge refusal of the plans came from Cllr Nicholas Coombes (Lib Dem, Bathwick), who said: "The expansion of airports is incompatible with attempts to cut carbon emissions. Indeed, it goes against common sense to imagine that Bristol International Airport can double its emissions over the next 10 years but that carbon emissions overall can be reduced in line with Government targets.

"Only this week the Climate Change Committee that the UK will have to cut emissions by 90 per cent by 2050 for the aviation industry to continue to grow.

B&NES will now tell North Somerset Council that, if permission is granted, there should be no increase in night flights, and it will ask the neighbouring authority to commission research into the noise impact of expansion on the Bath area.

Bristol City Council has also urged the rejection of the application.

Hilary Burn of the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion group said: "B&NES councillors are to be applauded for seeing sense over the airport's expansion plans. Climate change is the greatest threat facing the modern world, and dealing with its consequences will have a huge cost for the economy.

"With two of the airport's neighbouring authorities now objecting to the expansion plans, it is time the airport withdrew its application and cut back its plans so that it can fit in with economic and environmental realities."

But Alan Davies, planning and environment director at the airport, said: "The discussion at the B&NES Council meeting centred on emotional arguments relating to aviation's contribution to climate change. It ignored the recommendations of the Bath and North East Somerset planning officers and representatives of the tourism industry and business community in Bath.

"The aviation industry is at the forefront of developing new technology which will enable it to meet the challenging target of reducing emissions from flying to 2005 levels by 2050 against a background of a threefold increase in passenger numbers.

"We are confident that North Somerset Council, as the determining authority, will undertake a more thorough and proper analysis of the application before reaching its conclusion. We are also confident North Somerset will put much more weight on the employment, economic and tourism benefits generated by the airport in their district."

Source[/textarea]
As usual we see local councils trying to dictate against the national aviation policy. When will they realise that the government of the day is responsible for making those policies not them.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

As I explained elsewhere there seem complete all-party opposition to the airport expansion in the area, by both local and national elected representatives.

I had a day walking in today's glorious weather and took a bus out to the village in which I lived as a boy. I then made my way through tracks and paths to the lane that runs round the western edge of BRS and watched the aircraft for about an hour before striking off through woods and valleys to the main village in the vicinity of the airport, the village in whose parish the airport lies.

I had another look for the anti-expansion posters that SBAE has been giving out and enabling to be downloaded for a couple of years. According to SBAE all the local villages are dead set against expansion.

Well, I saw no posters displayed in any of the houses I passed. It was a different part of this very large village, almost a small town, in which I walked round a couple of months ago when I then saw only one house displaying posters, obviously an activist because several were displayed at the same house.

Local media straw polls always come down around 70:30 in favour of expansion when the general public, as opposed to activists, are asked for their views.

Clearly there is no groundswell of opposiiton in the village I visited. It's called Wrington, by the way, but that name will mean nothing to anyone who reads this.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

[textarea]Airport hotel ready for take-off

Development to provide on-site accommodation for passengers

Bristol International Airport (BIA) has signed an agreement with Pedersen Airport Hotels for the development of an on-site hotel. The agreement, completed today (30th September), is the first step towards the construction of a hotel of up to 250 rooms adjacent to the terminal building.

The proposed hotel would be positioned approximately 100 metres from the terminal building, providing passengers departing on early morning flights or arriving late in the evening with a convenient location for an overnight stay. Facilities will include meeting rooms, a licensed bar and full service restaurant, as well as dedicated car parking. Pedersen expects to select an internationally recognised brand over the course of the next few months.

The £20m development will generate around 25 full time equivalent jobs in the construction industry, and lead to the creation of around 140 jobs in total.

The on-site hotel will also reduce car and minibus journeys, which are currently made between existing off-site facilities and the airport, and enable passengers with early morning check-in times to arrive the previous day using public transport.

BIA is currently the largest airport in the UK without an on-site hotel. The proposed development will meet existing demand from passengers and air crew and provide the airport with a much-needed facility for both the business and leisure markets.

The hotel development will also provide overseas visitors arriving on evening flights with convenient and stress-free accommodation on their first night in the UK, enabling them to continue their onward journey to destinations across the South West refreshed the following morning.

The agreement paves the way for the submission of a detailed planning application by the developer within the next six months (this will be submitted separately from the development plans currently with North Somerset Council). Dependent on receipt of the relevant approvals, it is anticipated that the hotel will open in 2012.

Pedersen already owns three hotels in Bristol: the Novotel in Victoria Street, the Mercure on Welsh Back and the Ibis at Temple Quay, all in conjunction with Accor.[/textarea]

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/news-an ... e-off.aspx

Strange fact that BRS is the biggest UK airport (in passenger number terms) not to have an onsite airport hotel - the nearest is the Holiday Inn which is over two miles south along the A 38.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Western Walkway

I was at Bristol Airport last week and noticed how construction of this £7.5 million structure has come on since my last visit. It was reluctantly given the go-ahead last year by the local authority as general permitted development without the need for planning consent, or rather the councillors were reluctant whilst the professional planning officers employed by the council advised from the start that it should be allowed.

It will connect the existing terminal at mezzanine level with (I believe) eight stands on the distant western apron which at present have all to be accessed by bus.

Inbound and outbound passengers will be segregated and my understanding is that the walkway is a completely different kettle of fish to the current walkways serving part of the eastern apron which are no more than metal covered, draughty ground-floor corridors.

The western walkway is really a long completely enclosed (and heated/air conned) passageway at first floor level on 'stilts' that dog-legs in places (to avoid fuel dumps and the like) for a quarter of a mile.

My one reservation is that there is no travelator within the walkway and some may find walking up to a quarter of a mile taxing although I am sure provision will be made to assist those who are seriously immobile.

The walkway will form part of the major expansion plans currently being studied by the local authority but it is also a stand-alone infrastructure improvement that will take things forward in the meantime.

It should be operational by late spring/early summer 2010.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

[textarea]Council objects to Bristol Airport car park extension

North Somerset councillors from the west area committee, consulted on the full planning application to expand Bristol Airport, expressed opposition to any plans to extend its car parks onto greenbelt land in the south as part of its proposed expansion late last week.

The councillors did not have the power to approve or reject the proposal but they listed key concerns which will be passed on to the south area committee which will make the decision. They also called for improved infrastructure and new transport links to be in place before the airport's expansion goes ahead, echoing the concerns of north and central area committees.

Source[/textarea]

The airport might have to consider building a multi storey car park now.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

A multi-storey car park is part of the expansion plans although following the consultations this has been reduced in height and the roof would be a public transport interchange with foot access from it to the terminal by way of a bridge.

The airport also has a very large surface car park (Silver Zone) on the south side of the airport site (the terminal and all operational buildings plus airliner aprons are on the northside) and it is this that they want to extend into current Green Belt land. The airport owns part of this land already and I'm told has options to buy the remainder.

The betting now is that the North Somerset Council will approve much of the expansion but with such draconian conditions that it will all be meaningless.

In the 1990s in the former County of Avon days the local authority planning councillors did much the same when the airport first submitted its plans for what is now the current terminal. Approval was given but with such restrictive conditions (no night flying whatever was one) that it would have made building the terminal a joke.

The airport appealed and permission was given for basically what we have today.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Western Walkway

The multi-million pound western walkway project, due to be completed next May, is really beginning to take shape.

Its purpose is to reach the distant western apron without the need for passengers to be bussed there, as at present.

Bristol Airport's terminal is a two storey plus mezzanine floor structure that gives an outward impression from landside of being three storeys. Because it is built into the side of a hill the impression from airside and from the adjacent A 38 is of a low two storey building.

The walkway runs from the mezzanine level for a quarter of a mile to the western apron with 'stations' at intervals giving access down stairs (and presumably by lift for those with reduced mobility) to individual aircraft stands.

For the past few months the structure has grown as a giant skeletal passageway. However, when I was at the airport yesterday they were beginning to put in place the walls and windows. When finished it will give an impression from airside and from the A38 that the terminal building is over a quarter of a mile long.

The walkway did not need planning consent as the council reluctantly agreed it came under the heading of general permitted development.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

It sounds very impressive. I am sure it will look good when it's completed.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I know opinions on buildings are subjective but my initial thought on seeing the bits that are already superficially complete is that the effect is a bit box-like.

However, I intend to wait until the whole thing is finished before coming to a final judgement.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

[textarea]Bristol Airport expansion decision delayed

Bristol Airport will have to wait until February to hear whether its £150 million expansion plans will get the green light. A decision from North Somerset Council on the airport's plans had been expected on December 9, but councillors will now have extra time to study the plans to expand the terminal in order to cope with a projected increase annual passenger traffic to 10 million by 2016 from the current level of six million a year.

Airport spokesman James Gore said: ‘While we are keen for a decision on our development proposals to be reached as soon as is practical, we recognise that North Somerset Council wishes to ensure all aspects of this complex planning application are fully considered.’

Source[/textarea]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Not unexpected.

The local authority's decision, whichever way it falls, will not be the final word by any shape of the imagination.

Lawyers and planning consultants can look forward to a continuing gravy train for some time to come with this.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

[textarea]New facilities are on their way to improve your journey through the airport

This winter we’re investing in a whole range of new facilities to make your journey through the airport more enjoyable.

We do apologise for the disruption this will cause over the next few months. All our usual shops and restaurants are open as usual, including Dexters and Burger King.

Please do make sure you give yourself plenty of time for check-in and security. Our Customer Service team are there to help you make the most of your time at the airport before you fly.
We’re investing in:

Covered Walkway from the terminal to aircraft stands

This £7.5m project, completed for May 2010, is a major investment to improve facilities for passengers using the airport. The new 450m covered walkway, which will include facilities for passengers with reduced mobility, will enable passengers to walk direct from the Departure Lounge to its eight embarkation pre-boarding zones without using buses.

New World Duty Free Store

Opening May 2010, the new, larger ‘walkthrough’ store will offer a more extensive range of products across all categories including liquor, beauty, accessories and confectionery. The store will also offer a range of local products as part of a strategy to support local businesses and promote the ‘Best from the West’, and celebrate the region’s reputation for good quality food and drink

Refurbished toilets

Toilets throughout the airport are currently undergoing a refurbishment programme. This will be a phased approach with all complete for Spring of next year.[/textarea]

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/news-an ... e-way.aspx

It's gradually coming together but all this is but an entree for the much needed major expansion the plans of which are currently with the local authority.

Em mentioned the poor state of the existing toilets in his Continental flight review a few weeks ago so an upgrade is long awaited.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Going back to your recent visit to the airport do you remember if all the framework in place yet?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

There were still one or two sections of framework missing but in other places they had put in the exterior walls, windows and roof.

Haven't been past the airport for about three weeks so I suspect things have kicked on since then.