DORSET county councillors have baulked at the environmental and traffic implications of a controversial blueprint for the future of
Bournemouth airport which predicts a four-fold increase in passengers over the next 25 years.
In their response to the draft master plan published by airport chiefs in the summer members of the county's influential cabinet on Wednesday backed the concern of officers over proposals - or lack of them - for road traffic, noise and pollution generated by such levels of growth.
And they criticised the master plan for being out of step with local and regional planning policies and transport strategy by ignoring the impact of potential industrial expansion in the north of airport campus and the need for a direct link from the A338 spur road.
In their report to the cabinet head of planning, Andrew Price and environment chief Don Gobbett warned the prospect of four million airport passengers a year by 2030 would outstrip the master plan's proposals for improvements to the capacity of the existing road network, particularly the busy B3073 Parley Lane.
While the plan includes schemes to ease existing bottlenecks caused by the airport access roads junctions, Parley Cross traffic lights and the Hurn Bridge roundabout, highways officers say there is no timetable for the improvements.
The master plan's emphasis on passengers using private cars to reach the airport - an extra 3,500 parking spaces are proposed - is also criticised by county planners who want to see additional public transport measures both for travellers and the increased workforce at the airport and adjoining industrial estates.
Dorset planners also have mixed views on the suggested piecemeal extension of the existing terminal rather than consider the alternative of a completely new building in the north of the airport which would improve the chances of gaining a direct link from the A338 to serve the future industrial development.
The county response also calls for the master plan to contain more measures to offset the environmental impact of the predicted growth of the airport with increased air and road traffic adding extra greenhouse gas emissions and noise to threaten neighbouring residents and surrounding areas of protected heathland