Today’s BBC Bristol early evening news programme led with a story concerning Bristol Airport. Anyone who is interested can view the item on the BBC Bristol ‘Points West’ web page.
It was reported that new DfT regulations (following the Glasgow Airport terrorist attack) mean that the forecourt at the front of Bristol Airport will have to close permanently for vehicles.
Paul Kehoe, the airport CEO, was interviewed on the site and said that it will mean a new road having to be built on stilts across the main car parking area. The cost, to be born by the airport shareholders (as the CEO put it), is said to be many millions of pounds, but the timescale is not known.
Planning wasn’t mentioned so I assume this would be permitted development under the Town and Country Planning Order 1995. If not, the airport will have something else to put before planners and further run the gauntlet of the anti-expansionists, many of whom are really airport opponents plain and simple who would like to see it shut down.
The BBC reporter took the opportunity to link the story with BRS’s multi-million pound security area revamp which it was said will now be completed in July. Several outbound passengers were interviewed who all seemed remarkably content with their security experience today, comparing it most favourably with London airports, although it has to be said they were not passing through BRS at a peak period.
Another item in the news this week concerns a police and local authority check on the vehicles, mainly minibuses, taking passengers to and from the unofficial car parks in the area. Apparently one vehicle was given a prohibition order because of defects, and insurance and driving licence irregularities were found with some others.