Representation by Beach View Holiday Park (Beach View Holiday Park )
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
We are registering as Beach View Holiday Park located at Sizewell Common IP16 4TU (David, Sylvia Nicholas, Kristian & Kimberly Thorp) We agree with the concerns raised by Suffolk County Council and STOP Sizewell C campaign (formerly TEAGS). Beach View Holiday Park is a neighbouring tourism business, just over a mile south as the crow flies from the proposed Sizewell C site. We are concerned that in seeking to achieve a cheaper build, EDF’s DCO plans fail to adequately address transport, design, environmental impact and the impact of many years of heavy construction and localised disruption to communities, businesses and the local tourism industry. Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB Proposals do not adequately address that this DCO will be one of Europe's biggest building projects within an AONB, adjacent to RSPB Minsmere (SSSI SAC SPA & Ramsar Site). NSIP energy projects ignore protected landscape status over and over again, whether here on the Suffolk Coast, or elsewhere around the country. This is extremely concerning and calls into question the point of having protected landscape status, and why the NSIP planning process is failing protected landscapes. EDF’s DCO does not do enough to address the potential for Sizewell C construction to result in a man-made environmental and economic disaster on the Suffolk Coast. EDF has talked about legacy but these DCO proposals do not provide for an enhancing legacy for the area, instead they have real potential to cause lasting damage to the area environmentally, socially & economically. Coastal Erosion & Site Viability EDF’s Flood risk assessments contain a lot of unknowns, the ability of 1,000, 10,000 100,000 year modeling to provide accurate projections is questionable on such an exposed coast with only sand cliffs and offshore sand banks for protection. It remains questionable whether or not the DCO proposals pass the ‘NPS EN-1 Exception Test’. We would ask that if this DCO moves to examination, examiners seek independent reassurance that there is, or can be effective embedded protection against rising sea levels and natural erosion both in the immediate term and over the life cycle of Sizewell C and beyond. EDF must surely commit to providing foolproof solutions to deal with rising sea levels given that the site will need to be secured until 2190 at least, possibly even longer. The case for Sizewell C is a multi-generational conundrum as proposals will affect many future generations, our generation responsible for leaving future generations the task of cleaning up our generation's nuclear mess. Tourism EDFs DCO fails to adequately assess or propose tangible mitigation for the impact on the local tourism sector during construction and just as importantly post construction. The minimal reference to tourism and how EDF proposes to include enhanced mitigation for the effects of unexpected/unplanned prolonged construction is also lacking. Proposals as they stand show EDF does not understand the concept of the peaceful & unspoilt Suffolk Coast AONB and its accessibility and importance to the sustainability of local tourism. Our Tourism Business The effects of a Sizewell C will undoubtedly be felt by our business, Beach View has had many years of growth and we have invested considerably in our business. We welcome a ‘tourism fund’ but we don’t know details of monetary value, or how it will work and for how long it will be in place. It is essential that it is weighted to support businesses in closest proximity like Beach View Holiday Park. Ongoing financial assistance/compensation would be essential to offset any decline in revenue comparable to historic data for individual businesses. Where figures are available to show consistent year on year growth prior to Sizewell C, against negative financial impact during/after construction then a compensation package should be in place and made available at the earliest opportunity to support individual tourism businesses. Questionable Local Legacy The Sizewell B construction should have left a lasting and tangible legacy. ln Leiston it is now felt that while there was a construction boom in terms of spend in shops, cafes and pubs, after construction the towns businesses and residents suffered for many years getting back to normality. This cannot be allowed to happen with SizewellC, an ongoing community fund would be essential long after construction is completed if EDF is to remain a good neighbour and mitigate against causing a localised boom and bust in nearby towns like Leiston & Saxmundham. Cumulative Impact of Energy Proposals It is clear East Suffolk and the Suffolk Coast AONB is in the midst of an onslaught of energy proposals, the interaction and compounded effects on the landscape, environment, infrastructure (roads, rail and public services), communities & tourism industry cannot be brushed over. Much more needs to be done to assess and address the impact of multiple energy proposals, and whether the AONB & surrounding area will be able to cope with what is being proposed. We feel an independent ‘cumulative impact study’ should be commissioned and acted on if the AONB & wider area is to avoid catastrophic damage from multiple large scale industrial projects which include: Sizewell C, Scottish Power EA1N & EA2 wind farms, Nautilus & Eurolink and SCD1 & SCD2 Interconnectors.