The following is Publow with Pensford Parish Council’s response to the Bristol Airport Planning application, which was approved unanimously at the Parish Council meeting on Monday 9th June.
OBJECTION: 26/P/0686/OU2: BRISTOL AIRPORT, NORTH SIDE ROAD, FELTON, WRINGTON. BRISTOL AIRPORT LIMITED HYBRID PLANNING APPLICATION (FULL AND OUTLINE ELEMENTS) WITH ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT FOR THE EXPANSION OF BRISTOL AIRPORT TO ENABLE A THROUGHPUT OF 15 MILLION PASSENGERS PER ANNUM, OPERATING WITHIN A ROLLING 12 MONTH CAP OF 99,931 AIR TRANSPORT MOVEMENTS AND 4,974 NIGHT FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 23:30 AND 06:00.
The above application is seeking approval for a material increase in all key operational areas of Bristol Airport, including passenger numbers, flight movements and night-time activity.
Publow with Pensford Parish is situated about 7.5 miles from Bristol Airport to the east and within the Bath and North East Somerset unitary council area. Although our parish lies outside the North Somerset Council boundary, we are a neighbouring Parish and we object to further airport expansion as it would significantly impact our own residents. Publow with Pensford Parish Council objects to this application on the following grounds:
1. Further expansion would lead to unacceptable growth in airport related traffic using the rural roads within our parish.
2. Further expansion would lead to an unacceptable growth in daytime and night time aircraft noise and sleep deprivation affecting our parish residents.
Our detailed concerns are as follows:
1. UNACCEPTABLE GROWTH IN AIRPORT RELATED TRAFFIC USING THE RURAL ROADS WITHIN OUR PARISH
This application fails to adequately address and recognise the impact of increased traffic and noise on the parish of Publow with Pensford. It makes no proposals to mitigate them. The application contains proposals to improve the local road network infrastructure in the immediate airport vicinity but no consideration has been given to the necessity to improve the road infrastructure in the adjoining local authority areas.
A substantial level of airport related traffic passes through our local rural road network in the Bath and North East Somerset Council area. However, our rural lanes and roads are inadequate to accommodate the high volume of through traffic travelling to and from a large regional international airport.
Pensford village already experiences significant airport related road traffic movements from out-of-area traffic passing through. We anticipate that a further increase in harmful through traffic will arise directly from any further expansion of Bristol Airport’s passenger numbers.
The transport and infrastructure proposals set out in this application fail to take into account the growth in through traffic which would travel to or from Bristol Airport from the south and east of our parish as a result of any further expansion in passenger numbers. Such additional traffic can reasonably be expected to use both the A37 and the B3130, (which both pass through our parish) to reach the airport.
The effects of any further passenger expansion will be felt well beyond the immediate vicinity of Bristol Airport. The proposal for a 25% further growth in passengers from 12 million to 15 million per annum implies that there would be an enormous increase in traffic using our rural roads much of it from private vehicles, private hire cars and taxis. Therefore, the wider network of roads would need significant improvement to cope with this increase in traffic.
Traffic movements to and from Bristol airport by car through the Chew Valley would inevitably increase and more and more people would use our rural road network as a short cut to the airport, to avoid having to travel through the busy roads within the City of Bristol.
There is no dual carriageway or even a single carriageway “A” road to take traffic direct from Pensford to Bristol airport. Despite this inadequacy, a large proportion of airport related traffic already travels though the village of Pensford using the A37 and then on through the villages of the Chew Valley in Bath and North East Somerset using the rural B3130. This route is not “officially” signposted but that in itself is no deterrent to prevent airport related traffic using the B3130.
There is no direct public transport from Pensford to Bristol airport. The only viable way to travel to the airport from Pensford is by car or taxi (17 minutes using B3130 or 21 minutes using the A37 and A38 – source Google). The only public transport alternative is by bus and coach via Bristol (Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes involving a change – source Google).
The quickest way to travel from Bath to the airport is by car or taxi by using the A39 and A368 via Chew Magna and B3130. This is a 19.3 miles journey and takes approximately 45 minutes – source AA Routefinder). The public transport alternative is by train and bus from Bath via Bristol or by the Airport Flyer which both take about one hour – source Google. It therefore stands to reason that further airport expansion would generate more traffic from the additional passengers travelling to the airport by car or taxi in and through our rural area and which will also affect our neighbouring parishes.
The main signposted route to and from the airport to Pensford is by using the main A38, joining the A4174 (South Bristol Link) through Bishopsworth and Hengrove and finally up the A37. In the absence of duelling, any significant growth in passengers will mean that the main A38 route to the A4174 will remain at capacity and heavily congested. More and more cars would travel to and from Bristol Airport from the City of Bath and the M4 to the East and South East. Drivers will therefore undoubtedly seek a rat-run via the rural B roads to avoid a longer trip on the busy main A roads.
There is no consideration of the increased number of vehicles that will choose to use the well-known short-cut through the narrow and unsuitable B3130 running through the Chew Valley. A considerable volume of airport traffic already takes this short cut by turning off the main A37 into the B3120 at Belluton. The B3130 is a low-grade, narrow country road and unsuitable for any increase in traffic. The B3130 constricts to a dangerous single carriageway at Belluton Narrows, which lies within our Parish. Blockages often occur at Belluton Narrows due to drivers not knowing the area or not understanding the road conditions. The B3130 starts in Belluton, to the north of Pensford and runs from the A37 through to a point near Stanton Drew, (site of the second largest stone circle in England after Avebury), then through the villages of Chew Magna and Winford to the A38 at Felton just north of the airport. The B3120 through Chew Magna, in particular, cannot cope with a large increase in airport related traffic as it reduces to a single lane in parts and is frequently blocked during busy periods. Any increase in airport related traffic along the B3130 would present a serious difficulties including a health and safety risk to the numerous cyclists and ramblers who use this road. Drivers traveling to and from Bristol airport tend to be impatient and drive faster than locals who know the road conditions would do. Collisions have often occurred on the B3130 in the past which have led to Bath and North East Somerset Council imposing lower speed limits. Despite this, cars often overtake dangerously on this stretch of road.
The natural behaviour of most drivers is to seek out a rat-run as an alternative to using a busy road. However, using a small rural road like the B3130 to reach the Airport is not sustainable or acceptable. The previous airport expansion to 12 million passengers per annum served to increase rat-running on the B3130 which has resulted in damage to the roadside verges, caused potholes and has increased speeding and littering.
Nothing in the current proposals will end rat-running and diversion of airport related traffic onto the rural B3130 and therefore the proposed passenger expansion plans would clearly work to the detriment of the people who live or work in our Parish.
Where the B3130 meets the A37 at Belluton, traffic heading away from the airport needs to take a challenging right turn across the busy A37 before negotiating the congested single carriageway section of Pensford Hill in Pensford. This second-rate section of the A37 at Pensford Hill is already very busy with heavy traffic and is regularly blocked due to being too narrow for two heavy vehicles to pass each other on opposite sides of the road. This section would potentially experience an increase in airport related through traffic arising from any increase in airport related vehicles arriving from the east and the south. Major traffic blockages already tend to occur at this point. Having negotiated Pensford, airport related traffic would then continue to Chelwood Bridge; and onward by the A37 to Wells and by the A367 to Bath and the M4.
Publow with Pensford Parish Council objects to ANY increase in existing traffic volumes on our country roads as it is inappropriate to the existing rural transport infrastructure in our Parish. However we specifically object to a continuation of the current situation whereby HGVs are permitted to access Bristol Airport from Pensford/Belluton driving along the whole length of the B3130 through to the A38 at Felton.
2. UNACCEPTABLE GROWTH IN AIRCRAFT NOISE ABOVE OUR PARISH.
Publow with Pensford Parish Council considers that this application fails to adequately address and recognise the impact of aircraft noise on our parish residents. This noise would increase significantly as a consequence of any further increase in air traffic movements and this application makes no proposals to mitigate it. Even though Bristol airport has not yet reached the previously approved 12 million passenger movements per annum, existing aircraft noise in our area is already a concern to our parish residents.
The existing flight path and turning zone passes directly above Pensford Village. After taking off, aircraft climb over our village from about 6AM in large numbers. Our parish residents already experience noise and sleep deprivation in the early mornings from these especially during easterly wind conditions when the planes take off into the wind and climb before turning to the south and lingering for a long time above Pensford.
Our parish also experiences significant afternoon noise from aircraft returning to Bristol when they descend from the east to land. The graphic below illustrates the central position of Pensford under the flight path, which planes converge to produce a high concentration of noise beneath.
Over the past 20 years or so, aircraft noise has grown significantly worse due to continual airport expansions. In addition to noise from aircraft landing and taking off which already cause disturbance to our residents and loss of sleep it should be noted that it is possible to hear the reverse thrust from planes in parts of Pensford on a summer’s day even after they have landed at the airport when the wind blows in our direction. This state of affairs is not acknowledged in the planning application and it would only get worse if the plans for more and larger planes go ahead.
Publow with Pensford Parish objects to the proposed increase in flight movements to 15 million passengers per annum. The number of day and night flights over our Parish is already excessive particularly at peak travel times such as in holiday seasons. The existing noise levels from aircraft overflying our villages is already deafening and therefore Publow with Pensford Parish objects to any further noise from increased aircraft movements.
The proposed increase in the annual cap on air transport movements from 85,990 to 99,931, would mean a 16.3% increase in movements and this would have a serious adverse impact on any remaining rural tranquillity in our parish. Any increase in aircraft noise would have a detrimental impact on residents’ health and well-being, which even at the existing levels of air traffic movements, are being harmed.
Publow with Pensford Parish Council opposes the proposals for longer haul flights which would need heavier and bigger planes which would generate even more unacceptable noise and require a runway extension and additional lights. Publow with Pensford Parish Council is particularly concerned about the potential for increased noise levels from the Dreamliner, A321X LR and Airbus A350 which need extra fuel capacity for long haul flights. These aircraft are large and have a higher maximum take-off weight. Publow with Pensford Parish Council objects to these larger planes landing or taking-off over our Parish at any time, and they should be banned from all night time movements.
It should be noted that the latest Government study published on 7th May entitled “The impacts of airports on local residents” recognises that aviation noise is a stressor affecting health and a public health nuisance.
Night Movements: Publow with Pensford Parish Council opposes the proposed 25% increase to the night movement limit from 4,000 to 4,974 movements between 23:30 to 06:00 within a rolling 12-month period. Publow with Pensford Parish Council opposes any arrival or departure movements of any kind between the hours of 23:30 – 06.00. We believe that the current limit of 4,000 flights per year is already excessive and that the proposed increase would mean noise disturbance from low flying aircraft over our parish would get significantly worse.
If night flights were allowed to increase, this will mean greater noise nuisance and sleep deprivation for our residents. The Master Plan states that the vast majority of night flights would arrive between 23.30 and 02.00 hrs and this would imply a flight approximately every five minutes, which is unacceptable.
Runway extension and Felton Common: Publow with Pensford Parish Council opposes the proposed extension of the runway by approximately 170 metres at the eastern end (Runway 27) and the relocation and extension of the approach lighting infrastructure into Felton Common, including land within the Local Nature Reserve and common land. The main purpose of both proposals is to facilitate an increase in night flights and larger aircraft which we oppose. The proposed lights would clearly reduce the attractiveness of Felton Common for recreation as they would destroy its rural tranquillity especially at night.
3. INCOMPATIBLE WITH CLIMATE COMMITMENTS AND CLIMATE EMERGENCY
Publow with Pensford Parish Council objects to the proposed airport expansion which we believe is incompatible with our local Councils’ and the West of England’s climate commitments, it is also incompatible with the UK’s legally binding net zero obligations and with Bath and North East Somerset council’s climate and ecological emergency.
The independent, expert Climate Change Committee which advises government on carbon emissions, has stated that aviation must be constrained if the UK is to remain on a credible pathway to net zero. In June 2025, that Committee identified the need to ensure that the aviation industry takes responsibility for its own emissions, recommending that the cost of decarbonising should be reflected in the cost of flying, and advising that the Government may need to consider demand management measures. We believe that the airport’s application for further substantial growth in passenger numbers and flights should not be approved until the government makes clear its future national policy to align aviation emissions within carbon budgets.
The proposed expansion would generate the equivalent of 83% of total emissions from all non-airport sources in North Somerset. However, the application portrays the airport’s operations as more environmentally friendly than they are in reality. The airport’s claim of “net zero operations” is clearly deceptive as it omits the most significant source of carbon emissions from its operations. i.e. the aircraft. When this is recognised, the application for additional aircraft movements would clearly have an overall negative environmental impact.
4. HARMFUL EFFECTS ON THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Publow with Pensford Parish Council objects to increased aircraft movements, traffic, noise and artificial lighting because they would undermine tranquillity, disturb wildlife and intensify pressure on a sensitive habitat at a time when biodiversity is in decline. The application fails to address the significant impact that current airport operations already have on ecology and wildlife, which would be materially exacerbated by further expansion. The combined effect of the current proposals directly conflict with local and national objectives to halt and reverse nature loss. In particular, the proposed huge landing lights on Felton Common, which is a key location for biodiversity, would place unacceptable pressure on the landscape, ecosystem and wildlife.
Publow with Pensford Parish Council wishes to draw attention to the following North Somerset Council policies, which are relevant to our objections:
Policy CS23 – This relates specifically to development at Bristol Airport and supports airport development where environmental impacts are satisfactorily addressed, particularly in relation to surrounding communities and surface access.
Policy DM12 – This relates to development in the Green Belt and sets out the Council’s detailed development management approach to Green Belt proposals and resists inappropriate development unless very special circumstances exist. The policy gives substantial weight to the protection of openness and prevention of encroachment into the countryside, making it a key policy in the assessment of the proposed expansion onto land at Felton Common.
Policy DM24 – This relates to Safety, Traffic and Provision of Infrastructure and requires development proposals to provide safe and suitable access, minimise traffic impacts and promote sustainable transport choices. The policy is particularly relevant to Bristol Airport given increased passenger numbers, substantial additional traffic on local rural roads and continued dependency on private vehicle access.
Policy DM31 – This relates to air safety and seeks to ensure that development does not prejudice the operational safety of Bristol Airport or conflict with safeguarded areas and Public Safety Zones. This policy is relevant to the proposed runway extension and any implications arising for safeguarding, approach lighting and operational safety constraints around the Airport.
Policy DM50 – This specifically addresses development at Bristol Airport. The policy supports operational development where it is essential for airport purposes and where environmental, transport and amenity impacts are satisfactorily mitigated.
Signed by:
On behalf of Publow with Pensford Parish Council
Date: ………………………………………………………
The following article appeared in the Somerset Guardian and comments on the detrimental effect of increase flights on parishes to west of Bath & North East Somerset council area and also mentions Bath and North East Somerset Council’s objections to the Bristol Airport expansion plans. https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/local-news/bristol-airport-accused-ignoring-villages-10976663
Members of the public may comment on this application through the North Somerset Council website here: https://planning.n-somerset.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=makeComment&keyVal=TCIP27LP01600