Representation by Friston Parish Council (Friston Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 24 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Friston Parish is home to circa 450 people who live in a pretty, peaceful and tranquil environment surrounded by green pastures. Therefore, its residents enjoy a high-level sense of well-being, safety and security in a pastoral setting. Until the early part of this century the parish was run as a private agricultural estate in the ownership of the Wentworth family. The roads are in the main narrow country lanes and there is an acute shortage of parking in the village itself. It is particularly prone to bouts of heavy flooding, especially in bad weather. The parish has a small number of heritage buildings including a beautiful well-known grade II listed parish church. There is also a much needed youth centre connected with the local Baptist church and a popular pub with a restaurant. The parish is conveniently situated close to the AONB and there are a number of businesses in and around the village that are connected with, and dependent upon, the thriving tourism trade in this region. Transport: roads Friston can be approached from the A1094. This is a single track road about 7 miles long. It starts at Friday Street off the A12 and finishes at Aldeburgh, on the coast. There are a number of junctions, including Rights of Way, along the route which are very dangerous to cross. There is a plethora of credible evidence to support this assertion. It is feared SZC workers and its suppliers will use their cars and vans to drive on this road and this would seriously impact Friston infrastructure and residents. In addition, Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) intends to build an enormous substation very close to Friston village and within its boundary. This company will rely on the A1094 for to transport supplies and workers to the Friston sub-station site. This would include Heavy Goods vehicles as well as cars and vans. Should SPR succeed in its planning application, its use of the A1094 would embolden SZC worker and suppliers to also use the A1094 instead of the A12. This cannot be allowed to happen on the single track approach road to Friston, and with dangerous junctions along its route. SZC Tourism Fund It is feared that although Friston is close to, but outside of, the AONB, its businesses will not derive much benefit, if at all, from the tourism fund SZC is to provide; SZC seems to be concentrating on the AONB tourism area. Should this be the case then Friston's businesses of all types and sizes would be severely impacted, and this too cannot be allowed to happen. Suffolk Coast Destination Management Organisation found that tourism could lose up to £40 million a year, with the potential loss of up to 400 jobs. As tourism provides a large percentage of jobs in this area, this cannot be allowed to happen. RSPB Minsmere is of international significance. We are concerned that Minsmere would be irreparably harmed by the proposed development. This would damage the UK’s reputation for conservation as well as the visitor economy. Environmental Impact The construction phase of the development would result in unacceptable levels of environmental pollution, including from light, noise, traffic and dust. The mitigation of the environmental impact of the proposed borrow pits and subsequent landfill and other areas of landfill has not been addressed satisfactorily by EDF. The development does not address the potential adverse impacts on the ecological value of species and habitats in either the marine or terrestrial environment. The proposals increase flood risk due to the loss of flood storage from the main development site footprint. In summary Friston Parish Council are urging the Planning Inspectorate to refuse permission for SZC, this small part of Suffolk is beset with ill-conceived and uncoordinated energy projects that will devastate our fragile home beyond any form of mitigation and landscape renewal promised by energy companies.