Today (Thursday, 2nd February), Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath and Liberal Democrat Climate spokesperson, asked the Leader of the House to make time for a debate on the expansion of Bristol Airport.

In 2020, Bath and North East Somerset Council rejected the application for expansion on environmental grounds. It is now revealed the expansion will produce an extra 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, double what is currently emitted by the rest of Bristol transport.

On Tuesday, the High Court ruled that the rejection of the application does not comply with national planning rules. See The Journal's articles here:

In the Chamber, Mrs Hobhouse said the decision “flies in the face of local democracy” before asking the Leader of the House, Penny Mordaunt, to make time for a debate on how expanding airports like Bristol fits in with the UK's net zero target.

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat Climate Change Spokesperson and MP for Bath, commented: “I join my Liberal Democrat colleagues on B&NES Council in strongly opposing the expansion of Bristol Airport. Strong public opinion on the airport’s expansion extends well beyond Bath to our wider region.

“With the need to urgently act on the climate emergency growing ever stronger, airport expansion is not the way forward.

“The Leader of the House said she will be contacting the relevant Department to raise the concerns of my constituents over the matter. It is not just good enough for the Government to listen to the concerns of my constituents, they must act on them.

“It is my constituents' lives who will be impacted yet their voices are the ones being ignored. This decision is a gross denial of their democratic rights.”

Bristol Airport Action Network are appealing the decision. They have called for a rally on Bristol Green on Saturday, 4th February, see below: