Representation by Rita James
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I wish to express my strongest objections to many of the statements EDF has made in its eleven Pledges to the people of Coastal Suffolk in support of their ambition to build Sizewell C, but in particular to the issues mentioned in - Pledge 1 Disruption to local communities during the construction of Sizewell C I make these observations and objections as a previous resident of Leiston which was my childhood home and now as a resident of Woodbridge where I have lived since 1999. 1) Woodbridge residents, along with residents of other towns and villages bordering the rail track, will be subjected to additional night time freight train movements. The noise from these trains - movement over jointed tracks and klaxons at pedestrian crossings will result in regular disturbed sleep patterns. 2) Woodbridge currently enjoys a well-deserved reputation as the tourist gateway to the wonderful Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty AONB in this part of Coastal Suffolk; it provides much of the holiday accommodation required to support this vital tourist industry, but the construction of Sizewell C will undoubtedly attract new employees to rent in Woodbridge exacerbating current limits on low cost and tourist accommodation. 3) Woodbridge is already used as a rat run alternative route for drivers wishing to avoid the A12. Indeed traffic is often directed this way by GPS. We cannot accommodate any more “drive through” traffic. Primarily because the roads are already congested and there are regular pinch points at the junction of Lime Kiln Quay Road and Thoroughfare, the traffic lights at the junction of Melton Road, Woods Lane and Wilford Bridge Road, Melton railway level crossing and the roundabout joining A1152 and B1083. 4) No mention is made about the closure of pedestrian railway crossings in Melton which will mean an important amenity is lost to the many people who use these walking routes for recreational purposes. 5) The noise, light and air pollution will threaten our wonderful Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and RSPB Minsmere. Anecdotal concerns relate to my recollection of the unwelcome disruption to everyday life in Leiston when Sizewell A and B were built and question whether the benefits of constructing Sizewell C can ever be worth the negative impacts. 6) The local newspaper regularly reported scenes of drunken brawls and prostitutes on Friday nights in Leiston. Leiston gradually replaced the reputation it suffered at that time and now prospers as a place of interest particularly because of the Long Shop Museum and Leiston Abbey. What help will Leiston have to mitigate the prospect of it again becoming a town to avoid for tourism reasons? 7) Local businesses may see an expansion but with so much shopping for both goods and services done online will this still be true? 8) Informed rumour suggests that EDF will transfer much of their workforce from Hinkley point to Sizewell since there would bring a ready-to-go team of employees with no need to train local people from Leiston.