Representation by Waldringfield Parish Council (Waldringfield Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 24 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Waldringfield Parish Council wishes to raise the following issues for the Sizewell C Examination: LOCATION • The project is far too big for the setting and land available. • It is unsuitable for the nationally important AONB. • Climate change and rising sea levels mean that the site will be prone to flooding and is likely to become an island containing vulnerable nuclear reactors. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS • The environmental impact during the construction phase will cause an unacceptable loss and fragmentation of habitats, resulting in reduced biodiversity. • The water levels in the area will be changed, damaging the adjacent fragile ecosystems. • The proposed ‘town’ for workers and enormous spoil heaps will have a devastating impact on nearby protected areas. • Construction noise and vibration will cause serious disturbance to wildlife. • Light pollution during the construction phase will cause disorientation to birds, particularly during the winter months. • There will be an adverse impact on the coastline and its marine environment. • The CO2 produced in the construction phase will take many years to offset. NUCLEAR WASTE • There is a lack of information on how the nuclear waste will be stored, how long the decommissioning phase will take or what will be done with the waste at this stage. • There will be environmental and security threats into the distant future. • No information is provided about the dangerous and long-lived high level waste produced by the reactors. • There is a lack of information on transportation of the nuclear waste. THE ECONOMY • Eyesores, noise, dust and lorry traffic will deter visitors to the coast and the AONB, impacting tourism on which the local economy depends. • It will take many years to entice these visitors back. ACCOMMODATION • There is a need for affordable housing in the area, but the proposal does not provide for that need. • The large residential blocks with car parks and leisure facilities will have a damaging impact on local residents’ quality of life. TRANSPORT • Insufficient justification has been provided for dropping the ‘marine led’ transport option. • The proposed Sizewell Link Road runs too close to many homes and listed buildings. It will be of little use once the power station is built. • The high number of HGVs on the A12 will have a massive impact on the area around Martlesham, which is already congested much of the time. • No account has been taken of the extra traffic that will be generated by the 2,000 new dwellings planned for Brightwell Lakes. • No account has been taken of the extra traffic from the Felixstowe port expansion, impacting the Seven Hills roundabout, the A14 and the Orwell Bridge. • There is no mention of cumulative impacts of overlapping energy projects (such as the East Anglia offshore wind farms). APPLICATION PROCESS • The application is unsuitable for a digital examination process. • Waldringfield Parish Council wishes to endorse the Relevant Representation submitted by Stop Sizewell C.