Residents of Felton Village expressed outrage at a meeting last night regarding Bristol Airport’s plan to install runway approach lights on Felton Common.
Bristol Airport have stated that “The proposal would involve moving runway approach lighting and installing rows of lighting, and fencing around those lights, on parcels of land on Felton Common”.
The plans come as part of a broader ambition of expansion from the airport that would see Bristol Airport facilitate flights to the Middle East and America. The master plan for expansion published just a month ago did not initially include proposals surrounding the landing lights much to the dismay of the local Council.
Green Councillor for the ward that includes Bristol Airport, Thomas Daw, lamented the new plans for expansion. He feels the new plans mark a change in the airport’s role: “What once was quite a nice community asset has become this big international corporate machine that no longer cares about people it’s purely there to make money”.
Bristol Airport said in a statement on November 3rd that the venture is one that will still give back to the local community with the airport suggesting that the new expansion will provide “1,000 new jobs” predominantly to people in the region.
Cllr Daw’s views seem broadly reflective of a lot of local outrage at the proposal. Felton Common has been used as a public space for generations to walk dogs, run or ride horses.
Local resident Rosemary Ball feels the proposed lights will be something that will affect her personally. She said at the meeting last night that “I will be unable to ride my horse safely on the common”. The airport have hit back at concerns from equestrians stating “the commons is already overflown by aircraft arrive and departing the airport and so the level of impact will be similar”.
When asked about what she would say to airport leadership it was made clear she saw the plan as an attack on a way of life. She addressed them head on stating that “you are greedy” and that the plans would come “at the expense of of all the local people and at the expense of all the things country people value”.
In response to concerns about loss of Green space Bristol Airport have said in a statement that “As the enclosed lighting would result in some loss of accessible open space and affect grazing rights, replacement land, accessible to all, would be provided adjacent to the Common.”
Bristol Airport went on to state they understand the views of locals and will take them into account “While only small areas of the Common would be required for the lighting, we realise how important the open space is to local people, and so we are consulting with those with rights on the Common, users of the Common and local residents.”
The consultation over the proposed runway approach lights will go on until the December the 19th.
