Representation by Simon Maier
- Date submitted
- 9 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I want to raise the following serious issues of deep concern relating to the possibility of Sizewell C. Firstly, the site: 1. It is the wrong project in the wrong place 2. The earmarked site is at serious risk from sea level rises and flooding, despite the plans for a 33 foot sea wall 3. It is planned that waste will be kept on or below the site. That's simply criminal and will provide next generations with a huge and dangerous problem. The site could also become an absolute island in due course containing 5 nuclear reactors and stored waste. 4. As you are well aware, next to the proposed site are internationally designated sites of ecological importance, of extraordinary cultural heritage and landscape value. These will be ruined forever. 5. There are currently 8 other totally uncoordinated energy projects planned for the area Secondly, the community: 1. Apart from the years of aggregate lorries all day, 7 days a week and the vast amounts of new concrete, the impact on local communities will be drastic and vast. 2. There will be a huge increase in car and van transport causing snarlups, delays and accidents. There will be huge traffic issues everywhere (not just on the A12). There will be pollution including dust, light and noise all of which will affect people's and animal health. 3. The disruption for 20 years (not 15) will be total. 4. I remember well the chaos caused in Leiston and elsewhere when Sizewell B was built. Prostitution, hard drugs and alcoholism were rife as was theft and a rise in traffic accidents and overall crime as shown in the records 5. 6,000 workers will come and live in the area, 2,400 of them will be in a campus in a location that is totally unsuitable Thirdly, the economy: 1. At a rough estimate experts forecast that tourism could lose up to £40m a year and 400 jobs. EDF surveys suggest 29% of visitors could be deterred. My view is that the % will be much higher. It will get around very quickly via social and other media that East Suffolk is to be avoided. For 20 years. 2. House prices will fall and rentals will suffer 3. EDF expects local people to fill 90% of lower-skilled, lower-paid roles in what they call Site Support. That's a cynical and unhelpful plan and will create much resentment and lack of support 4. Local businesses will suffer even more than they did from the few months of Covid when many went bust. With Sizewell C the impact on parking, on customers and on access will be enormous. Good staff will be hard to find. 5. The pressures on the NHS and local services during Covid were and are big. With Sizewell C, it's plain that health, social and emergency services will simply not manage and the results of that will be catastrophic. Fourth, transport: 1. Transporting the majority of materials by road makes no sense whatsoever. It would be perfectly feasible despite what EDF says to bring in everything via sea. 2. Bringing the majority fo materials in by road will result in road chaos every single day for two decades. 3. HGVs will be in the majority by far over cars. 4. The effect on visitors as well as locals of a vast increase in traffic will be so detrimental to business as well as all day to day activities. 5. The obvious delays and then length of time for new road construction will be over a two to four year period during which time villages would be disenfranchised and people would have to endure noise, dust and chaos for that period and beyond. 6. It will be seen as criminal that any new roads will split communities, will ruin the footpath network, will destroy trees and woodlands, will kill and alienate wildlife forever and split up farms. 7. During the construction of Sizewell B, rat runs were common despite assurances from the Sizewell authorities. Drunk driving increased then as did accidents in village high streets. This factor has absolutely not been considered properly because there are no proper and safe conclusions or proposals to be reached. 8. The proposed relief road system is a joke because it cannot obviously be sustained. Fifth, the environment: 1. Flooding is more than likely according to experts views. 2. Flood risk will be 100% higher than now due to the loss of flood storage from the development site 3. The Minsmere Sluice could be a huge problem vis a vis flooding 4. Dust from the development and piles of debris would be enormously problematic particularly for those with health problems 5. Geiger counter readings show a higher than allowable measure of radiation now! This will simply get worse 6. There is no clarity over landfill 7. Minsmere will be ruined forever and this is simply unforgivable. It's a Special Protection Area but will receive zero protection. 8. The amount of water required by the development each day will ensure that East Suffolk, one of the driest parts of the UK, will suffer and therefore so will the population. 9. The waste water is likely to harm protected species and wildlife in general. Ditto fish. Sixth: The coastline 1. The rate of erosion will be as higher if not higher than the current rate. This is dangerous as has been pointed out by all countries with nuclear power plants adjacent to the sea. 2. Erosion on the East Suffolk coastline is unpredictable and therefore dangerous 3. Marine ecology will be a t huge risk I want to endorse the relevant representation submitted by Stop Sizewell C. I also endorse relevant representations from the RSPB and SWT. I wish to state that I consider the Sizewell C application to be totally unsuitable for a digital examination process. Thank you