Developers appeal rejection of plans to build 3,000-car park and ride for Bristol airport

Rejected plans for a 3,000-car park and ride for Bristol Airport are going to a planning inquiry after developers appealed the council’s decision to refuse planning permission.

Developer JB Pearce Ltd submitted plans for a park and ride service with parking for 3,101 cars at a site on the A370, near Junction 21 on the M5.

Electric buses would run three to five times an hour, taking passengers to Bristol Airport.

The site of the car park is surrounded by hedgerows which the developers say they will keep.

Amanda Sutherland, solicitor for JB Pearce, said: "It shouldn’t look any different externally than it does now, other than signage, etc."

However, JB Pearce’s plans were refused planning permission by North Somerset Council who cited eleven different reasons, including a failure to show the need for the parking, noise levels, and issues over flood risk.

Ms Sutherland said she had been told that only four of the eleven reasons would be argued at the inquiry. She added: "We are very confident that we are going to succeed."

Although the park and ride would serve the airport, the developer is a third party acting independently.

Parking is a major revenue stream for Bristol Airport, who previously opposed plans for a similar scheme by a different developer.

The airport is also involved in its own planning battle as it seeks to expand its capacity from 10m passengers a year to 12m.

The airport was refused permission for its expansion plans by North Somerset Council, but this was overturned on appeal.

Campaigners have now taken the case to the High Court who will hear the case in Bristol on November 7 and 8.

Ms Sutherland said the inquiry had shown there was a need for parking which the third-party plans would address.

She said: "There is a gap to meet the parking demand. We consider that our scheme meets that gap."

She added: "A) We are meeting demand. B) We are going to do it sustainably. And c) we are reducing the impact of the traffic congestion on the local road network."

The planning inquiry over the park and ride will begin on November 30.