Representation by Simon Pierce
- Date submitted
- 30 September 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I have the following concerns about the proposal to build Sizewell C. 1. The location of the proposed nuclear power station The site selected is right next to Minsmere RSPB reserve, in a rural area that is dependent upon tourism and farming The tourism industry in particular will be seriously damaged by the disruption caused during the build phase As well as impacting local residents, increased noise and pollution will deter tourists from visiting the area Tourists visit this area for the quiet, natural environment; a new nuclear power station is incompatible with an area renowned for SSSIs, nature reserves and dark skies EDF’s own surveys estimate that 29% of visitors could be deterred Our own holiday rental business is likely to be seriously damaged by Sizewell C The site chosen is at risk from climate change, sea level rise and flooding 2. The impact of the build Thousands of workers will come and live in an area that does not have the infrastructure to support them I am vehemently opposed to the proposed worker accommodation blocks in a location that is totally unsuited; EDF have blithely ignored the concerns raised and continued with their proposals Based on evidence from the project at Hinkley Point, there is a question over whether the accommodation would be fully used, and many of the workers would compete for local housing, including holiday rental properties. This would further damage the tourism business 3. Transport Most of the materials, equipment and people needed to build Sizewell C will be moved by road; EDF have predictably watered down their proposals to use sea and rail The local road network is totally unsuited and the movement of large numbers of lorries, buses and cars will have a huge impact on the local communities. The new road infrastructure proposed to reduce the impact is inadequate and will permanently damage beautiful rural lanes and footpaths and destroy farms Alternative relief road routes that would provide long term benefit have not been properly assessed by EDF 4. The local environment Our holiday rental cottages, and many other properties and land, are dependent upon the Minsmere Sluice to protect them from flooding; the long term impact of Sizewell C on the sluice is unclear and has not been properly investigated This could be compounded by the loss of flood storage from the development site I am concerned about the potential impact of the spoil heaps, borrow pits and landfill on the local environment The construction will have a huge impact on the local landscape and damage an important AONB The abstraction of water will also damage the environment and affect protected species It is unclear what effect the power station would have on rates of erosion of this sensitive coastline and marine ecology I wish to endorse the Relevant Representation submitted by Stop Sizewell C. Feel free to endorse other organisations’ Relevant Representations such as RSPB, SWT etc. I wish to state that I consider the Sizewell C application to be totally unsuitable for a digital examination process.