Infrastructure, Construction & Developments

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

He's probably booked his latest holiday flying from the airport so feels compelled to change his opinion to suit. I'm curious as to why the airport asked him to open the walkway?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I don't know. Now the North Somerset Council has agreed to the expansion plans (still subject to sec of state approval) maybe the airport and local councillors have suddenly become all luvvy duvvy.

Today the Bristol Evening Post carried a story on the walkway opening.

It drew attention to the fact that although other neighbouring local authority leaders had attended the ceremony the leader of the Liberal-led Bristol City Council had not, despite being invited.

She had declined the newspaper's request to explain her absence.

Bristol City Council (the owners of the airport until ten years ago) had formally objected to the expansion plans but at the same time is pushing hard for Bristol to become a 2018 World Cup venue where transport links are a major consideration (the city is on the latest list of a dozen cities which of course is subject to England being chosen to host the event).

The Lib-Dem council leader often acts in a perverse manner anyway when it comes to aviation and Bristol Airport.

She flew from the airport to a climate change conference in Copenhagen, saying her time was too valuable to waste it on trains and ferries despite telling anyone who would listen that people should make more use of these modes of transport over aircraft, and flew on an easyJet jolly recently from Lulsgate to Filton to celebrate 100 years of Bristol aviation. Perhap she considered the walkway opening ceremony too insignificant a jolly to interest her.

You can see that I have no time for politicians - of any party.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I totally agree with you there LocalYokel and if recent political goings on are anything to go by it just proves that nothing has changed despite claims that the 'new' politics would be squeaky clean. Again the similarities between Bristol council and Leeds council is evident and high on double standards.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Airport Hotel

A planning application has been submitted to North Somerset Council for a 251-room on-site hotel to be developed by Pedersen Airport Hotels.

This application will be considered separately from the airport's major expansion application that has already been approved by the local authority but is waiting to see whether the secretary of state will call it in for a public enquiry.

If all goes well with the hotel planning application work could start next year with a completion date of winter 2012/2013.

Bristol is the largest UK airport (in terms of passengers handled) without an on-site hotel.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

That's so strange, an airport of such a size not to have it's own on site hotel. Even Humberside airport now has it's own on site hotel. It should prove very popular once built.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Limited space.

The airport is in the heart of the countryside and surrounded by green belt. There is no warehousing or industrial units or external office blocks nearby. Even the freight unit was transferred to Avonmouth (about 12 miles away) about ten years ago

It is literally an airport set amongst fields - well there is a golf course along one side.

US travellers must think they've arrived in a film set when they touch down after leaving the likes of Newark.

The nearest 'dedicated' airport hotel is the Bristol Airport Holiday Inn, nearly three miles south along the A38. There are a number of private hotels and guest houses within three or four miles of varying quality.

 

[alphagolf]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Pedersen Hotels plans for a new hotel at Bristol Airport as part of a £150 million redevelopment programme have been approved by North Somerset council. The hotel will have 250 bedrooms, and is scheduled to open in the winter of 2012. It will be a four storey building with facilities including a bar, restaurant and meeting rooms.

The hotel is to be built very close to the airport terminal, a mere 100m away, offering a convenient and easy stroll to the airport. Pricing will be set higher than the majority of its competitors due to the advantages of its location. Objections to the hotel related to the impact of additional traffic on the area, but this was balanced by the benefit of the 125 new jobs that will be created.

Good News for Bristol, another step closer to improving facilities at the airport. :yahoo:

Quote take from UK-Airport-News.info

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

This application went through with little local interest (compared with the usual brouhaha concerning any developments at the airport) - even SBAE made only a token expression of opposition.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

This application went through with little local interest (compared with the usual brouhaha concerning any developments at the airport) - even SBAE made only a token expression of opposition.

That makes a change....

(The BRS sister airport LBA :smile: suffered a backlash by local bed and breakfast guest houses when the airport announced Travelodge was going to open up there)

Winter 2012 opening? Any idea when they intend to commence the build.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I don't know when they will start. Presumably some time next year.

There are quite a lot of privately owned guest houses, pubs and small hotels, one or two at the quality end of the market, within a few miles of the airport, some very close.

The nearest 'airport hotel' at the moment is the Bristol Airport Holiday Inn which is situated two and a half miles away south on the A38.

 

[alphagolf]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

SBAE

Seem to have been unusally quiet recently, nothing on their website site since June 14.

I guess they may be just waiting for the sec of state to make his decision on whether to approve the airports plans!

Always worries me when objectors are quiet, normally means they are up to something!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

The Major Expansion

It seems that the Sec of State's decision whether or not to call in the application for a planning enquiry is not subject to a timescale.

This seems extremely unsatisfactory - I believe there is normally a defined length of time in which the minister has to make up his mind but this can be set aside by the service of a notice which I understand has been done.

At a time when the government is desperate to see new jobs created it seems lunacy to hold up a major construction undertaking that has been passed by the locally elected representatives, especially as not one penny of public money would be involved.

 

[alphagolf]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

BRISTOL AIRPORT EXPANSION GETS THE GO-AHEAD

Bristol Airport welcomes the decision today that the Secretary of State has decided not to call in its planning application to develop and enhance the Airport.

This is a vote of confidence in the comprehensive consultation process carried out by North Somerset Council, and the significant support for the application from across the South West. This decision endorses the positive recommendation by the Council’s planning officers, the support of the application by its South Area Committee, whose members represent wards in closest proximity to the Airport, and the final approval given by the Council’s most senior planning body, the Planning and Regulatory Committee.

By empowering North Somerset Council to determine this application, the Secretary of State’s decision secures the future of the Airport and its contribution to the region for the next 10 years, delivering more jobs, more inbound visitors and better access to air travel for business and leisure passengers. Development of the Airport will also bring significant financial contributions for improved transport to the airport, controls on environmental impacts and robust mitigation measures.

Quote from Bristol Airport website.


What fantastic news, about time things went the way of the airport and I for one look forward to the developments progressing to the building phase. :yahoo:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

alphagolf wrote:

[textarea]BRISTOL AIRPORT EXPANSION GETS THE GO-AHEAD

Bristol Airport welcomes the decision today that the Secretary of State has decided not to call in its planning application to develop and enhance the Airport.

This is a vote of confidence in the comprehensive consultation process carried out by North Somerset Council, and the significant support for the application from across the South West. This decision endorses the positive recommendation by the Council’s planning officers, the support of the application by its South Area Committee, whose members represent wards in closest proximity to the Airport, and the final approval given by the Council’s most senior planning body, the Planning and Regulatory Committee.

By empowering North Somerset Council to determine this application, the Secretary of State’s decision secures the future of the Airport and its contribution to the region for the next 10 years, delivering more jobs, more inbound visitors and better access to air travel for business and leisure passengers. Development of the Airport will also bring significant financial contributions for improved transport to the airport, controls on environmental impacts and robust mitigation measures.

Quote from Bristol Airport website.


What fantastic news, about time things went the way of the airport and I for one look forward to the developments progressing to the building phase. :yahoo:[/textarea]

I second your sentiments entirely alphagolf - you just beat me to posting the same link.

I have to say I thought the secretary of state would intervene. I was convinced he would - after all senior Tories such as Liam Fox put pressure on him publicly to do so - and we would then have a long drawn out public enquiry with no certainty as to what the final inspector's recommendation would be.

After the incredible decision of an inspector to recommend an old rubbish tip as a Town Green to scupper a new £92 million football stadium in Bristol anything is possible.

The only fly in the ointment now would be objectors seeking a judicial review.

However, that would cost them a few quid and now both the local authority and secretary of state are singing from the same hymn sheet their chances of success must be slight.

Let's hope that SBAE accepts defeat gracefully but I somehow doubt that they will.

A great day for the airport.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Excellent news and congratulations Bristol Airport! Progress prevails.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I came across this render of the new Bristol airport hotel today. It's a very modern design which surprises me because I kind of expected it to look more like a stately home.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

It's a very modern design which surprises me because I kind of expected it to look more like a stately home.

A stately home would sit well amongst the sylvan rusticity that is a feature of BRS's surroundings.

Sadly, it seems the hotel will be part of the functional modern of the rest of the expansion (still waiting to see if SBAE intends putting its money where its mouth is to seek a judicial review of the secretary of state's decision not to intervene in the local authority's approval of the expansion plans - I believe that there is normally a three-month time limit on commencing a judicial review application so they probably have another two months to decide whether to go for it).

 

[Aviador]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Any news on when the terminal development will commence assuming the airport has passed the final hurdle without a judicial review going ahead?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

I think the objectors (SBAE) are still considering whether to launch a Judicial Review. I believe they have another month or so to decide before the time limit runs out.

If there is no further obstruction of the plans there may be a start next year but the expansion will be a gradual thing, phased in over a number of years as the airport passenger/flight numbers grow (assuming they do).

Full implementation of the expansion could take a decade.

 

[alphagolf]

Re: Infrastructure Developments

Interesting that there has been no update on the SBAE website since June 14th 2010, you would of thought they would still be arguing there case strongly at this time. Saying that I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them that they won't launch an appeal.

I think its going to hang on to what financial support they have and from who! I think if they do launch an appeal I for one will be looking in detail at who the financial support came from!