Anti-airport expansion group in Bristol loses appeal

An artist's impression of the proposed new forecourt at Bristol Airport

Campaigners have lost their appeal to stop Bristol Airport from expanding.

The airport plans to increase capacity from 10 to 12 million passengers a year and enhance its facilities.

Bristol Airport Action Network (BAAN) said it was disappointed by the decision from the Court of Appeal in this time of a climate crisis.

Bristol Airport welcomed the court's decision to uphold the planning permission and said its plans will create thousands of new jobs.

In January, the High Court ruled that the airport's expansion plans could go ahead following a lengthy legal battle, but BAAN appealed against this decision.

'Refused on all grounds'

Now Bristol Airport has announced that the appeal had been "refused on all grounds".

The ruling found that there was no "real prospect of success and no other compelling reason for the Court of Appeal to entertain an appeal".

A spokesperson for the airport said: "We will now take forward our multi-million-pound plans for net zero operations by 2030 and look forward to working with stakeholders and the community to deliver responsible growth."

Steve Clarke, from Bristol Airport Action Network, said: "I'm not really surprised by this decision, but I am angry and disappointed."

He added: "Bristol Airport pretend to be concerned about local stakeholders and the climate, but nothing could be clearer from this process that they don't give a damn about either.

"They must understand though that we are not going away - we will be energised by this ridiculous decision."