SOMERSET residents could soon enjoy better transport links to the West Country’s main airport.

Bristol Airport is seeking to modernise its current facilities and expand, allowing it to handle up to 12 million passengers per year.

The airport is working with Somerset County Council and North Somerset Council on a strategic transport review, which will identify where road and rail improvements could be made in the near-future.

The airport has committed £450,000 towards the cost of this study, whose findings will be published before the end of 2018.

Details of the study emerged in a report to Sedgemoor District Council by councillor Anne Fraser, portfolio holder for economic growth.

She said in her report: “Bristol Airport has some ambitious plans for expansion, which would be of significant benefit to both businesses and residents alike who use the airport, both now and into the future.

“However, while the transport links into Bristol and the north of the region are set to improve, the road infrastructure to the south-west is still a long way from being delivered.

“It would be intensely frustrating to see an ‘all-singing, all-dancing’ airport which people cannot get to because of poor road connectivity.”

To address this issue, Mrs Fraser said that Somerset County Council and North Somerset Council were considering the matter through “a strategic transport review of the A38, M5, and rail and bus options across the area, funded by the airport.”

Bristol Airport has stated that the study will focus on the area between south Bristol and junction 21 of the M5, near Weston-super-Mare.

A proposed new rail link between the airport and Taunton railway station is also currently being considered by the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.

A spokesman for the airport said: “We are a funding partner of the Bristol South West Economic Link study, alongside North Somerset Council and Somerset County Council. We have made a contribution of £450,000.

“The study is considering multi-modal transport improvements from south Bristol to the Junction 21 area of the M5, to address the lack of capacity and resilience in the transport corridor, both existing and forecast for the future, taking into account airport, employment and housing growth.

“North Somerset Council will be consulting on options for transport improvements during 2019, with further work envisaged to support the case for funding for public transport and highway improvements.

“Bristol Airport is the only top ten busiest UK airport without either a dual carriageway, link from a motorway or rail link and is committed to working with partners such as North Somerset Council and Somerset County Council to ensure the region gets the transport improvements it needs.”

A spokesman from Somerset County Council added: “We welcome the growth of Bristol Airport and are actively working with them to support the development of transport links.”

The findings of the study will be published at the end of the year, with a business case being put forward for transport improvements in the area around the airport.