Representation by Sue Baugh
- Date submitted
- 27 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I have many concerns about the construction of and need for a nuclear power plant at Sizewell C. Below are my main concerns. LOCATION This is the wrong project in the location. The Suffolk coast is at a greater risk than most other parts of the UK from climate change which are causing sea levels rise and flooding. Coastal erosion is unpredictable and, as we can see right now, is happening almost daily on this part of the coast. Sizewell C would have a massively adverse impact on internationally and nationally designated sites of ecological importance and sites of amenity, cultural heritage and landscape value in the East Suffolk area. At the same time as this application, eight further energy projects are planned for the area. There is no joined up thinking taking place and, with the variety of other types of energy projects, it seems that there is no confidence in what is the right way forward for our energy needs. What is clear is that if all of these projects move forward then an AONB will be destroyed forever. It makes a mockery of giving any area AONB status if it can be ignored in this way. DETRIMENTAL AFFECT TO OUR COMMUNITY, ECONOMY AND PEOPLE. Local communities will be subject to unacceptable side effects if Sizewell C goes ahead. We will suffer unacceptable increases in traffic (talk of up to 1000 HGV movements per day), dust, noise and light pollution and interruption of our every day lives. East Suffolk residents will suffer very badly as a result of this proposal. 6,000 workers will move to the area, with 2,400 in a Worker Campus sited in a location that is unsuitable. The tourism industry which is a vital part of the Suffolk economy will be extremely hard hit. EDF suggest 28% of visitors could be deterred from visiting - I think that number will be much higher. Who wants to go on holiday in a building site and, worse than that, a building site where a nuclear project is being constructed? The Suffolk tourism industry could lose up to £40m a year and hundreds of jobs. Many small businesses will be decimated with livelihoods destroyed. The East Suffolk infrastructure cannot cope with such a project: there is a lack of private housing stock, our schools and health service cannot cope with such an influx of people. EDF’s road based transport plan is not sustainable and will have an enormously adverse impact on both local communities and the visitor economy. The HGV numbers under the “Road-Led” proposals have been rejected by all statutory consultees in consultations. The new roads being proposed will cut communities in half, divide farmer’s properties and ruin the footpath and byway network. There has been little consideration of or care about the effects of the road transport proposal on local communities, the local economy and our countryside. ENVIRONMENT The harm to Minsmere, an internationally important wildlife site, is irreparable, let alone the damage to other wildlife sites in the area. EDF cannot be allowed to ignore the importance of our wildlife reserves and our flora and fauna. To use one example, the impact on Marsh Harriers threatens the integrity of the Special Protection Area. The impact on the character of the East Suffolk landscape would be catastrophic due to the locality, design and scale of Sizewell C. This area is an AONB for a reason and this cannot be ignored simply because it suits EDF. It is absolutely impossible to compensate for the landscape and ecological damage that Sizewell C would cause. I wish to endorse the Relevant Representations submitted by Stop Sizewell C, the RSPB and the Suffolk Wildlife Trusts and to state that I consider the Sizewell C application to be totally unsuitable for a digital examination process.