Representation by Paul Templeton
- Date submitted
- 29 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I have lived close to the village of Sizewell for the past 22 years: 13 years in Aldeburgh (5 miles away), and now in Sweffling, less than 10 miles from the site of the proposed new nuclear power station. My passions include walking in the beautiful woods, heaths and marshes of the coastal area neighbouring Sizewell and swimming in the North Sea adjacent to the existing power station. I strongly object to the construction of Sizewell C on the basis of the following points: - it will have a hugely negative local impact due not only to the process of construction of the site itself, but also the massive increase in traffic congestion and number of workers in the local area. The direct damage to the natural environment combined with the concomitant air, light and sound pollution over a period of many years will likely cause irreversible harm to a variety of sensitive and fragile ecosystems that support a number of endangered wildlife species. There is also likely to be a deleterious affect on the way of life of communities in an essentially rural area due to the influx of large numbers of workers and the changes in local infrastructure. - that expansion of our nuclear power generating capacity is unlikely to address the current climate emergency. Not only is it too slow and expensive to bring online, but the advance in renewable technologies over the coming years is likely to make the whole scheme a pointless and wasteful white elephant. - that an additional nuclear reactor at Sizewell increases the danger of radioactive poisoning due to leaks and accidents, potentially affecting not just the local area but the entire region. The risks are hard to quantify and the consequences do not bear thinking about.