Thank you for your emails about the failure of the legal action to overturn the decision to expand passenger numbers at Bristol airport.
As you know, I objected to the expansion, primarily on the grounds that our local transport infrastructure is not prepared to take an increase in passenger numbers, many of whom will arrive from the west and south-west via junctions 19 and 20 of the M5. Judicial review can only be successful if it can point to a legal flaw in how the judgement was reached, rather than the validity of the arguments involved. While those of us who live in the villages which will be adversely affected by the decision will be deeply disappointed by the outcome of the judicial review, we also have to accept that many of those who are not directly impacted by the expansion are in favour. So to characterise local opinion as being entirely in one direction is not correct.
Our efforts must now be directed towards mitigating the effect of passenger increases on those whose quality-of-life will be impacted to the greatest degree.