Representation by Peasenhall Parish Council (Peasenhall Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 10 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Sizewell C: Relevant Representation Statement by Peasenhall Parish Council If the Sizewell C power station is built, there will be impacts on the parish of Peasenhall during the 10-15 year construction phase, the most significant of which will be an unacceptable increase in traffic levels along the A1120, with consequential loss of air quality, worsening noise pollution, light pollution; and vibration damage to the historic village centre: many residential properties have no front gardens and open directly onto the main road, and many are listed buildings which will not be granted planning permission for sound insulation. 1. Traffic Although there will be a Delivery Management System for HGVs travelling to and from the site along the A12, Peasenhall will be adversely affected by an increase in LGV ‘white van’ traffic on the A1120. Strict measures including ANPR or RFID technology must be put in place to prevent HGV traffic using the A1120 as an unauthorised route. Increased construction traffic on the A12 will hamper access from the A1120 for Peasenhall residents, especially during the first three years of construction and the building of a new roundabout at Yoxford. Options for sea and rail delivery of bulk materials are preferred. 2. Workforce Many thousands of construction workers will be living off-campus. The numbers commuting from west of Peasenhall has been underestimated, and their journeys to and from the site will add to the existing traffic capacity issues in Peasenhall. Projected shift patterns at the construction site will mean disturbance to residents very early in the morning and late at night. 3. Environment The adverse carbon footprint of the construction phase will impact Peasenhall. The proposed very large-scale water abstraction will affect the region’s water table with consequences for local farms, which are significant local employers. The unique clay plateau landscape of Peasenhall and its biodiversity is threatened by any wider environmental change in the broader geography of East Suffolk caused or affected by the construction phase. The other significant local industry, tourism, will be consequentially affected. 4. Costs The project costs are of concern to Peasenhall. We oppose increases to local precepts and council taxes caused by a national infrastructure project, the costs of which should be borne and spread nationally. We are also concerned by the implied tariffs once the power station is operational; by the middle of the next decade renewable energy will be several orders of magnitude cheaper to produce and supply.