It has urged people travelling to the airport to consider using public transport rather than driving
Bristol Airport sign(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A raft of proposals to tackle illegal off-site parking around Bristol Airport has been announced. The joint Parking Action Plan between the South West transport hub, North Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police is aimed at reducing “rogue” meet and greet operators, and “nuisance street parking”.
In January, local parish and district councillors held a parking surgery to discuss areas of concern with the police and key members of North Somerset Council, including highways and planning enforcement teams.
It is understood 40 actions were highlighted and agreed on at the time, including:
- Proposing to double the funding provided by the airport to support North Somerset Council’s planning enforcement team;
- further joint days of action with Avon and Somerset Police and North Somerset Council and working with both to tackle “rogue” meet and greet operators;
- new signs enforcing no stopping or waiting in the lane directly off the airport roundabout;
- parking restrictions for the Bridle Cottage layby on the A38 near the Fox and Goose, limiting waiting for a maximum of two hours;
- local taxi firms contacted and reminded about the waiting zone, which is free for the first hour, to discourage parking outside properties;
- and expanding the capacity of the airport’s one-hour free waiting zone and improving signage.
Rob Henley, transport planning manager at Bristol Airport, said: “The only way to tackle parking issues is through a joined-up approach. We encourage those customers who can use public transport to consider travelling to the airport this way.”
Mr Henley urged people driving to the airport and local taxi drivers to “please be more considerate to the local community and not park outside homes”.
“We recommend using our free waiting area rather than dropping off outside of people’s houses and in laybys,” he added. “A complimentary bus runs regularly from this area to the terminal.”
A ‘Parking Reporting Guide’, which is available on the airport’s website, has also been produced “to make clear” which organisation deals with which issues, Bristol Airport said.
It is understood that last year, North Somerset Council worked to target illegal off-site operators, some of which were parking more than 1,000 cars in a field during the summer peaks. The local authority made more than 1,000 monitoring visits in 12 months and issued 24 enforcement notices against sites operating off-site car parks without planning permission, it said.
Councillor Annemieke Waite, cabinet member for planning and environment for North Somerset Council, said: “If you choose to park outside of Bristol Airport, it is your responsibility to check the company is reputable. Look for a parking accreditation. Check terms and conditions and reviews, and avoid companies with a mobile only number. Consider using a credit card to book. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
Inspector Christian Gresswell at Avon and Somerset Police added: “We hope the measures agreed will help to alleviate some of the issues we have seen over recent months and we will continue to support the local authority with any enforcement action they may take themselves.
“Residents and visitors alike are urged to keep reporting issues surrounding nuisance parking and unaccredited parking operators to us and our partners, so we understand the scale of the issues and what resources are needed to tackle them.”
The British Parking Association (BPA) has also been working with the airport and North Somerset Council since last year to share knowledge of airport parking issues elsewhere in the country.
Anne Bevis, technical compliance manager at British Parking Association, said: “We look forward to playing an integral role and assisting with further improvements to benefit everyone into the future.”
In December, Bristol Airport announced it would be replacing its bus fleet with all-electric vehicles. The investment is part of a commitment to reach net-zero operations by 2030, the airport said.
