Bristol Airport’s long-term expansion rely on the delivery of plans for a rapid transit system in the West of England, its Chief Executive has warned.  Dave Lees told the Infrastructure Session at the West of England Economic Growth Conference that rapid transit, whether it turns out to be light rail or tram, could be a “game changer’ in terms of the sub-region’s infrastructure.

In the short term, the airport’s expansion could be facilitated by improvements to the road network but more ambitious growth relied on rapid transit, he said: “We won’t be able to rely on the roads in the future, we need to see alternatives from a resilience and an environmental perspective.”
[emaillocker id=”71749″]
Lees said Bristol Airport is seeking to double its annual passenger numbers from the 9m per annum that it currently handles to up to 20m by mid 40s. The airport’s current development plans are based on upgrading the existing terminal with a new canopy and improved public spaces, incorporating a premium lounge and a wider range of food, drink and shopping.

Lees said a purpose-built public transport interchange, comprising a coach and bus station as well as drop off points and taxi ranks, is central to these plans. The interchange will be connected to the terminal by a new enclosed walkway. But growing annual passenger numbers to 15m by the mid-2030s would require extending the airport’s operational area to the north of the runway to create more aircraft parking and a bigger terminal, he said.  

Bristol Airport’s plans have the government’s backing, Lees said “The government has been very clear that we need to optimise use of the regional airports of which Bristol is the fifth biggest outside of London’s airport system.”

And the area’s combined authority provided the west of England with an opportunity to speak with a common voice to national decision makers in Westminster, he said: “They are listening but we need to articulate a very clear concise and powerful message.”

Andrew Page-Dove, Regional Director, South West at Highways England, said that the agency is conducting work on remedying Bristol airport’s position as the only regional airport without access to the strategic road network. In terms of broader highways strategy, the region had to make more use of the existing capacity on its road network, he said: “Around Bristol we lose about 40% of capacity because of the way we use the infrastructure.”

And Page-Dove said the major road network of routes will have to play a much bigger role in the future.

He also said the south west has been ‘fantastically successful’ at attracting cash from Highways England’s £100m housing fund. He said the biggest prize on offer for the west of England from Homes England’s Housing Infrastructure Fund is a bid being worked up to upgrade the M5.

John Chaplin, Director of External Affairs and Special Projects at Bristol Ports, used his presentation to showcase the key role the facility is playing in the construction of the new nuclear plant at nearby Hinkley Point in Somerset. He said that 2.5m tonnes of aggregates is due to be shipped into Bristol Port. It will then be taken down to nearby Hinkley where it will be unloaded using a temporary jetty managed from Bristol.

Chaplin said the port will also receive and transfer to the power station site abnormally large items of plant that are too wide, heavy or long to be transported on the highways network.

He also said there is capacity on land north of Bristol port, the connectivity of which is due soon to be improved by an upgrade to its nearest junction on the M49, for more than 16m sq ft of light industrial and warehousing units.

Vicky Redman, Partner at solicitors Womble Bond Dickinson, said that the combined authority’s joint spatial plan had been submitted for examination, identifying key locations for strategic housing growth,

And she said the joint local transport plan is scheduled for early adoption next year, while the west of England is working towards the formation of a western gateway transport authority to co-ordinate infrastructure in the area.
[/emaillocker]