Police are “fully aware of the issues”
Shannon Brown Senior Reporter
12:32, 17 Feb 2026
File image of a police parking operation around Bristol Airport(Image: Gloucestershire Constabulary)
Plans are finally taking off to tackle parking issues at Bristol Airport following months of trouble.
The airport has acknowledged problems with offsite illegal parking companies, rogue meet-and-greet operators and nuisance street parking, which has previously seen passengers complain about the state their vehicles were left in.
A series of plans have now been agreed on between Bristol Airport, North Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police to address complaints from holidaymakers and local residents.
Avon and Somerset Police has warned of dodgy parking operators previously, with cars left dumped, damaged and with extra mileage. Last summer the Immigration Enforcement Team, council and the Motor Insurance Bureau found 20 vehicles which had not been returned to their owners, leaving some customers and their families stranded at the airport.
Bristol Airport said some illegal offsite operators were parking more than 1,000 cars during the peak summer months.
Following a parking surgery held between Bristol Airport and councillors, 40 actions were agreed upon to improve transport to and from the airport, for visitors, local residents and local taxi companies.
This includes:
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 signage 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.Expanding the capacity of the airport’s one-hour free waiting zone and improving signage.The airport has also renewed its contract to continue community litter picks in areas within close proximity to the site. Meanwhile, Bristol Airport staff continue to regularly volunteer as well.
Rob Henley, transport planning manager at Bristol Airport, said: “It’s been vital that we work together with North Somerset Council and Avon and Somerset Police, as 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. We have the A1 bus to and from Bristol, the A3 bus, running between the Airport and Weston-super-Mare, and the A4 bus from Bath via Saltford, Keynsham and Hengrove. And we’ll be announcing more routes soon.
“We ask all customers who drive and 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. A complimentary bus runs regularly from this area to the terminal.
“We are working hard with everyone to find and deliver the best resolutions to make a real difference to local communities.”
The bus terminal at Bristol Airport is one way to avoid the parking issues(Image: Bristol Airport)
North Somerset Council issued 24 enforcement notices against sites operating off-site car parks without planning permission last year, making more than 1,000 monitoring visits in 12 months.
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 are fully aware of the issues and concerns residents have surrounding unaccredited parking operators, and we will continue to work with our partners to tackle them and address any issues of criminality.
“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.”
