Chapter 10 - The South West
Key issues
10.1 The South West is the largest of the English regions. Its size and population distribution mean it is difficult for any one airport to serve the whole region. As a result, the region contains several airports, many of them serving a distinct geographical area or commercial role, supporting air services which are of considerable importance to the regional economy. But most offer only a limited range of services at present, leaving many from the South West (currently around 70 per cent) to use airports in adjacent regions, mainly those in the South East, and Heathrow and Gatwick in particular.
10.2 As the region's airports grow, however, there are likely to be considerable opportunities to attract inward investment and inbound business travellers, and also predominantly leisure-orientated traffic (foreign and domestic tourists), for whom the travel times by alternative surface modes are a significant constraint. Combined with growth in indigenous traffic, this should enable a wider range of services to be sustained from the region's own airports, and should reduce by 2030 to 50-55 per cent the proportion of traffic using airports outside the region.
10.3 Our forecasts suggest Bristol will remain the region's largest airport; the scale of development at other South West airports is dependent on a number of variables. These include the scale, timing and location of development at South East airports and at Bristol, population and economic growth relative to the UK average and the extent to which the tourism market grows and is attracted to use air services.
10.4 The South West consultation document, 1 and a subsequent study of options for developing airport capacity in the far South West, commissioned by the South West Regional Development Agency during the consultation process, considered these issues in some depth. Both documents sought views on where further airport capacity might best be located, given the economic benefits and environmental impacts it would have. This included consideration of a new airport to the north of Bristol, and (in the case of the latter) a new airport in the South Hams area.
10.5 The consultation document also addressed surface access links to the region's airports and those in adjacent regions that make a contribution to meeting its air travel needs, regional air access to London and the role of the region's smaller airports.
Main conclusions
10.6 We believe there is significant potential for growth at existing airports in the South West of England and that this will generate substantial economic benefits to the region. The development of new services and improved service frequency will, over the lifetime of the White Paper, also enable the proportion of South West air passengers that need to rely on the use of airports outside the region to be significantly reduced. However, airports elsewhere in England will continue to have a significant role in meeting the needs of South West air travellers. Maintaining, or improving, surface access connections to these airports from the South West, by both road and rail, will therefore be important.
10.7 The main potential for growth in the South West will be at Bristol Airport. Having due regard to the environmental impacts that would accompany its expansion, we support its development to around 12 mppa, to include a runway extension and new terminal south of the existing runway when these are required. We also support development at Bournemouth, provided appropriate surface access improvements are put in place and any direct or indirect impacts on sensitive ecological sites are minimised or compensated.
10.8 Newquay and Exeter have a distinctive role in serving their local catchment areas and there is significant scope for development without major environmental impacts. We therefore support proposals for their expansion, with the detailed form of development and funding to be determined at regional and local level. We also invite the regional authorities to review the options for meeting the air travel needs of the City of Plymouth and its hinterland and to make appropriate provision for this in future regional planning, transport and economic strategies.
Bristol International Airport
10.9 Bristol International Airport is by far the largest airport in the South West of England. Like several other regional airports in the UK, it has seen substantial growth recently, with passenger throughput nearly doubling between 2000 and 2003. The airport is now handling almost 4mppa. The forecasts suggest that by 2030 it could attract between 10mppa and 12mppa, taking account of our proposals in Chapter 11 for new runways in the South East.
10.10 The airport faces some complex constraints. The existing terminal site should be able to cope with up to 8mppa, provided additional aircraft stands can be accommodated. Beyond about 8mppa, a second terminal south of the runway would be required, together with a runway extension to the east and extended parallel taxiway.
10.11 The number of people living within the 57dBA noise contour in 1999 was only about 1,000, and we expect only a very small increase in this number by 2015, even at the higher end of our growth forecasts. With a runway extension, and our highest levels of forecast throughput, estimates suggest that by 2030 there would be no more than around 3,500 people within the 57dBA noise contour. The airport operator is invited to bring forward as soon as possible a long term master plan setting out these proposals, to be accompanied by a voluntary purchase scheme for any properties that would be adversely affected.
10.12 The runway extension would also require some common land to be taken, and we would expect this to be replaced elsewhere. There would also be some loss of green belt as a result of a runway extension and new terminal development. However, we do not believe this would fundamentally affect the integrity of the green belt within the area and consider it would, on balance, be justified by the importance of the airport's growth to the region's economy.
10.13 Subject to the conditions outlined above, we therefore support the proposed development of the airport.
10.14 Strategic surface access links to Bristol are not as good as at many other airports of a similar size in the UK. Links to the motorway network, which is some distance away, are via 'A' and 'B' roads that pass through villages and other built-up areas. These are not heavily congested, except to the north of the airport where the A38 enters Bristol itself. Away from the immediate vicinity of the airport, the proportion of airport-related traffic is small. The express bus service from Bristol Temple Meads to the airport, which is the main public transport link, is proving increasingly successful; but public transport mode share is low at four per cent and the provision of a direct rail service is not a realistic prospect.
10.15 The Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study will consider what might be done to improve both road and public transport access to Bristol Airport, and we encourage the airport operator to participate fully in this process. Access to the airport could be significantly improved by routing traffic away from congested urban areas within Bristol and by bringing forward bus priority proposals which would help provide speedy and reliable journey times for the airport express coach service operating from Bristol Temple Meads station.
New airport - north of Bristol
10.16 The option of building a new airport north of Bristol was set out in the South West consultation document if development of the existing Bristol (Lulsgate) Airport needed to be constrained, or in the event that new capacity was not provided at South East airports. Based on the decisions set out above, and our conclusions on capacity in the South East, neither of these circumstances arise. The appraisal set out in the consultation document indicates that a new airport north of Bristol would therefore be neither economically beneficial nor commercially viable.
10.17 In addition, respondents to the consultation identified a number of problems with the new airport proposal, including the proximity of major industrial complexes and settlements nearby, flood risk, and congestion on key motorway links. These concerns, combined with the cost of building a new airport and the negative impact from closing the existing airport on the economy of south Bristol, resulted in strong opposition to a new airport north of Bristol from a number of important stakeholders in the region.
10.18 Taking all of these factors into account, we have concluded that there is no case for supporting a new airport to the north of Bristol in the period of this White Paper.
Bournemouth International Airport
10.19 Bournemouth International Airport is situated on the eastern edge of the region. It competes with Southampton for certain types of traffic, although the two airports have, to some extent, complementary roles as a result of Southampton's relatively short runway. Bournemouth handled nearly 0.5mppa in 2003. It also has, and is likely to retain, a small but important air cargo operation.
10.20 Future traffic will be heavily influenced by the provision of capacity in the South East. Forecasts suggest Bournemouth in 2030 could attract around 4mppa with one new runway in the South East, but less than 3mppa with two new runways in the South East.
10.21 By 2015, there could be some 700 more people within the 57dBA noise contour and 3,000 in total by 2030. Further terminal capacity is likely to be required to accommodate the projected growth, but this can be provided within the existing airport boundary. The Environment Agency is concerned that growth in air services and surface access traffic could have some indirect detrimental effects on sites nearby which are designated for nature conservation. The airport operators should make every effort to minimise these impacts. Where there are direct impacts they should ensure that appropriate compensatory measures or replacement habitat is provided.
10.22 Further growth is likely to require improvements to road access to serve the airport and its adjacent business park, alongside further enhancements to bus links from Bournemouth station.
10.23 Subject to the conditions above, we agree that additional terminal capacity should be provided to serve the forecast traffic, as and when required.
Exeter International Airport
10.24 Exeter International Airport has outline planning approval for a new terminal and associated Skypark development on the northern side of the airport, subject to agreement being reached about a new road link to the A30. Recent enhancements to the strategic road network in the vicinity of the airport, which is readily accessed from the M5 and upgraded A30, have also helped to extend the airport's potential catchment area.
10.25 If the airport grows as anticipated to 2.0 to 2.5mppa, or beyond, a move to the new terminal will be essential. With modular extensions and progressive development of the apron and taxiway system, the new terminal should be capable of meeting the airport's long term capacity needs. We would therefore see no strategic need to impose caps on the traffic volumes it can cater for; if these are required, they can be determined locally.
Plymouth
10.26 During the consultation a proposal was put forward for a new airport to the east of Plymouth. As this was not covered by the consultation, we have not reached conclusions on it. The Government is content, therefore, for this issue to be considered by regional and local authorities, having careful regard to the alternatives. These are to extend the runway at the existing Plymouth City Airport, or to take advantage of air services available from other airports in the region potentially capable of serving the Plymouth catchment area.
10.27 In the interim, at the existing airport a range of safety-related and surface access enhancements are underway that will provide an improved Runway End Safety Area. These are essential to facilitate continued operation of the existing Plymouth/Newquay - London Gatwick service, and to enable other routes to be established. This should allow the City of Plymouth to continue to benefit from air connections to a number of domestic, and possibly international, business destinations using aircraft types that can use the airport's short runway, while final decisions on long-term solutions for air access serving Plymouth are being taken at a regional level.
Newquay Airport
10.28 Newquay Airport's traffic has seen substantial recent growth following the start up of 'no-frills' services to Stansted. The airport has potential to attract new services catering principally but not exclusively for inbound tourism markets. These are likely to be of significant benefit to the Cornish economy. We therefore welcome the work which the Ministry of Defence, Cornwall County Council, Restormel Borough Council and the South West Regional Development Agency which will examine the potential for further commercial opportunities for Newquay Airport and St Mawgan.
10.29 If the airport fulfils its commercial potential, the existing terminal facilities are likely to need relocating to a larger site elsewhere on the airfield within the next ten years, depending on the extent to which incumbent airlines expand the frequency of services at times of peak demand. We support such development in principle, not least because of the economic benefits it could be expected to bring to an Objective 1 area, and the limited environmental impacts it would have. However, the exact timing of this development, its funding and the detailed proposals for the new facilities, will all need to be subject to approval at the regional and local level, as appropriate.
Other South West airports
10.30 Filton and Gloucester Airports play an important local role in respect of business aviation, as do Land's End Aerodrome, Penzance Heliport, St Mary's Airport and Tresco Heliport in respect of lifeline air services to the Isles of Scilly. We fully support the continuation of these roles. PSO support for the Isles of Scilly services would need to be considered should this prove necessary.
Other issues
10.31 South East airports will continue to play a significant role in serving the air travel needs of some parts of the South West. The quality of surface access links to those airports will therefore remain important. Strategic road access from the near South West is currently good, although increasingly affected by congestion on the approach to the airports concerned. As a result, any improvements to rail access to Heathrow and Gatwick, either directly or by improving interchange connections, would impact positively on travel times and the public transport mode share for air passengers travelling to and from the South West.
10.32 For other parts of the South West, however, particularly parts of Devon and Cornwall, the journey times involved in using surface transport mean that air travel will remain an important, and in some cases essential, alternative. In that respect, we recognise the importance of maintaining air services between London and the South West. We set out in Chapter 4 the arrangements to apply in considering any proposals for imposing Public Service Obligations to safeguard such services.
1 See Bibliography.
