Dear Mrs Walker

Many of you have written to me about Bristol Airport's expansion plans. Bristol Airport submitted a planning application to North Somerset Council on 30th November 2018 seeking approval for development to handle up to 12 million passengers a year by the mid 2020s.

A great many  people have written who are understandably worried about the large number of applications for planning permission for house building in North Somerset, especially around Yatton, Claverham and Backwell. I hope this note will give some useful guidance.

In-patient beds in Clevedon hospital have been retained following a successful campaign by the League of Friends, local residents and Dr Liam Fox.

In our 2014 constituency survey when asked about local issues that matter most 27% of you said the green belt and 17% said housing.Here in the Somerset, we have many of the same planning problems that the rest of the country have. None of us object to more housing being built we all understand the need for more affordable housing, especially for young people who have grown up here, so they can continue to be part of the community.

Unemployment in our North Somerset constituency has dropped to 0.6% since 2010, making it the second lowest in the whole of the UK. The boom, which has seen the area become one of the most affluent in the country, has been even greater than the average growth in the economy in recent years. The long term plan set out by the government has returned us to stability and confidence.