Representation by Dave Fleetham
- Date submitted
- 28 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to register the following concerns about the proposed Sizewell C development: I am opposed to the proposed development on the following grounds: The Site Is wholly inappropriate for a nuclear development. It is surrounded by area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), designated sites of international and national ecological importance and sites of landscape, cultural heritage and amenity value which will all be damaged and may never recover. It will require the acquisition and consequent destruction of some of this land. Sea level rise caused by climate change which this devlopment will contribute to make this site untenable. RSPB Minsmere, its inhabitants both permanent and transitory will be severely impacted by a massive building site on their doorstep with consequent noise and air pollution. They may well leave and never return. Traffic. Increased traffic up to 1140 HGVs per day, 700 buses and 10,000 cars/vans per day for the entire construction period of between nine and 12 years will bring misery to East Suffolk and the wider environment. The existing and proposed infrastructure is wholly inadequate. The A12 will be gridlocked to & from the M25 if not further. The tourist industry, a thriving trade on which this area largely depends will be catastrophically impacted. An estimated £40m a year in lost revenues is predicted. This will bankrupt many businesses that depend on these visitors The influx of an estimated 6,000 workers will mean a significant reduction in quality of life of this rural area, more social unrest and disturbance as well as pressure on local services such as the NHS and emergency services. The siting of worker campuses will disturb existing residents many of whom moved here to escape high population density. Footpaths which are familiar to and well used by local residents including myself and are an attraction to the tourist will be closed. Walking in the area for miles around will no longer be a pleasure due to noise and air pollution. Environment The carbon reduction benefits of EDF’s claim are too late. It will take at least 6 years before the carbon debt created by the construction of the plant to be off-set, i.e. not until 2040 if the plant is completed by 2034. This is far too late if we are to slow the rising temperature of the planet. Fresh water demand for Sizewell C will require 3 million litres a day in an area which is the driest areas in the country. Marine issues The sea water intake system will have a devastating effect on fish stocks, sucking in tonnes of marine life daily and discharging them in the outfall. Coastal erosion/accretion processes unpredictable but siting the development on an eroding coastline is plainly dangerous and irresponsible. Documentation & Consultation The Covid 19 pandemic has disrupted the EDF public consultations as well as the document review period EdF’s documents have consistently been of poor quality and difficult to view, with maps too small and with descriptions almost unreadable and lacking in pertinent detail. I was a supporter of nuclear power 40 years ago but not any more. Nuclear power is now obsolete, outdated and proved itself to be too expensive, too risky with too many extremely long term issues with it’s waste. Should a tiny portion of this waste fall into the wrong hands the consequences could be horrendous. To build a new plant with technology proven to be flawed is foolhardy in the extreme