BAAN – SAVE FELTON COMMON
Meeting Minutes
2nd December 6.30pm – 8pm, Felton Hall
Panel: Richard Baxter, Steve Clarke, Hillary Burn, Debbie Johnson. Ben Moss, Mary Collett
1. Introduction by Richard Baxter
Richard opened meeting by summing up Bristol Airports expansion plan to apply for a CPO to remove common land status from Felton Common and to use the land to install landing lights, fencing, a power supply, and an access road to facilitate an expansion plan to raise passenger numbers from 12M to 15M, a longer runway and long-haul flights to locations in Dubai and the USA.
Richard explained the purpose of the meeting was to form a local group, with a core committee, to help organise meetings, actions, media coverage and to set up routes of communication to encourage the public, locals and further afield, to resist the Airports bid to forcibly take their land. Richard introduced the panel of speakers and gave a brief history of BAAN the meetings organisers, who believe Bristol Airport is Big Enough.
1. Panel speeches
Steve Clarke demonstrated the weight of objections versus support for Bristol Airports last expansion planning application. Which was won but later overturned at appeal. He spoke of how rare it was for airports to attempt a takeover of common land, Blackbushe Airport being one example, which failed. Steve went through the probable legal process, how long it might take (potentially up to 3 years), and how a local group could form to organise people to fight the long fight. He suggested people respond to the Airports consultation, deadline 19th December, write to MP’s and Councillors, but did say it would be the Secretary of State who would decide the fate of the Common. He ended by saying if the Common was lost it would be lost to the people forever.
Ben Moss spoke of the Airports wide reaching and forever effects, including those on the climate. He talked about the airports new owner, MacQuarie, an Australian Financial Services group, known as the ‘Kangaroo Vampires’. He spoke of his sadness when we lost the last expansion appeal, and the incompetence and deception of the Airport leaving the Common Land landing lights out of their Masterplan. He finished by reading a verse from the 17thC folk song, The Goose and The Common.
Hillary Burn talked of her 20-year fight against Airport expansion, her position on Cleeve Parish Council and the Parish Council Airport Association. She gave her, and the Cleeve Parish Councils support, to the people of Felton. Said the argument would come down to Public Interest, either the Airports or ours, the people.
Debbie Johnson explained she was a long-standing member of the Felton Common working committee which worked with the Parish Council to manage the Common. She talked about how precious the Common was. She said how she had believed the clear boundary of the Airports Land and the Common Land would protect Felton and further from expansion to the East and was amazed the Airport could stoop this low. She talked about the current status of the common, as a Nature Reserve and Area of Conservation. She said Felton Common was in a Higher Stewardship agreement with Natural England to improve biodiversity of the Common even further and to protect it for future generations. For example, a recent survey had discovered a rich source of Waxcap Fungi on the common and it was of National importance. She said Natural England were planning a response and had described the Common as a finite resource, being so unusual and increasingly rare – in their words it was irreplaceable.
Mary Collett explained the timeline for the process the Airport might take to acquire the Common Land, explaining it could involve 1 or 2 public enquiries and could take 2-3 years. She urged people to respond to the consultation, to question the quality of replacement land offered and how the Airports claims to be good for the local economy were not true. The promised jobs never materialise, and the Airport’s business acts as a money drain not a tap as most people use Bristol Airport to leave the area to spend their money abroad, they don’t bring money into the area.
1. Message from Annemieke Waite
Richard read out a message from the Parish Councillor in which she urged people to respond to the Consultation before 19th December
1. Questions and Answers
It was asked if the Common was an SSI? Debbie Johnson explained it wasn’t but even the Airports own Ecologist admitted it was a precious resource, even though this was not a view he shared with the Airport. She talked of the Skylarks breeding site, which is exactly where the landing lights would be installed. She said she hoped to raise national awareness even contacting activists like Chris Packham.
An attendee wanted to raise the issue of the Airport becoming a Category III airport.
An attendee explained how Sadik Al-Hassan, the Labour MP for North Somerset, seemed firmly on the side of the Airport and was ignoring the feelings of his Constituents. Steve Clarke urged people to continue to write to or email him to try and persuade him to listen to their concerns.
A long-standing resident of Felton expressed the safety concerns if this expansion into the common went ahead. Planes lower, bigger and very close to housing. He acknowledged the risk was low but that any accident would be catastrophic.
Hillary Burn explained about a Consultation Committee meeting on 15th January and people could send their questions or contact her with questions to ask.
1. Group Discussions
Richard Baxter suggested people move into groups to discuss possible actions and next steps and to put themselves forward for the new Felton Common Committee. Those present formed groups
1. Thanks
Jackie Head clarified that we were collecting contact details for the BAAN newsletter and would send initial information about post meeting developments via this list.
Richard Baxter thanked attendees for coming to the meeting and collected the names put forward for the committee.
Minutes from the Hands Off Felton Common Community meeting
