Bristol Airport expansion: Pool of contractors appointed

A pool of 13 contractors have been appointed to carry out expansion work at Bristol Airport.

Any of them can be asked to carry out selected jobs as part of the £150m scheme.

The 30 different projects which form the expansion plans will be spread over the next decade.

Work on three new aircraft parking stands has already been completed but work on a new on-site hotel is expected to start soon.

An airport spokesman said it had created the "framework" of contractors to avoid potentially costly and time-consuming EU procurement rules, a move which he said was common for organisations like the airport.

'Didn't drag heels'

He said this method avoided having to enter the full EU process every time.

"We achieved full planning permission in October 2011, once the threat of judicial review was finally thrown out, and we didn't drag our heels," the spokesman said.

"We started work on the first phase of the development the following month."

He said the contractors could be used over the next four years.

One of the next projects will be the "central walkway" to help alleviate some of the queuing at busy times in the departure lounge, and provide undercover access to the aircraft.