Representation by St Mary the Virgin Church, Friston (St Mary the Virgin Church, Friston)
- Date submitted
- 10 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I write both in a personal capacity and as Warden of St. Mary the Virgin Church in Friston. I have been appalled at the apparent lack of communication between various bodies which are, or should be, considering the likely consequences upon the village of Friston if the enormous industrial construction were to take place as planned by Scottish Power Renewables. I first heard about the proposal early in 2018 and at that time I believed, naively, that a transformer would involve some building, rather akin to a farm building, well away from the village and that no real harm would be done. How wrong I was. The proposals are a horror show, both in the construction and in the eventual operation of the proposed site, which we now see is going to cover a vast area of good farmland on the edge of the village. The overall effect of these plans will be catastrophic not only for the residents, but for those living in a much wider area of this unspoilt and beautiful part of Suffolk. I have been shown a photograph of the site, supposedly taken from the air, purporting to show the site after construction with the buildings superimposed. While I do not challenge the details, the boundary is cleverly cut so that there is no sign of the houses, village hall or the 12th century Grade II * listed church which are bang next door. I cannot believe this is an accident, but the impression given is that the site is in a large empty place. It is not. There are much more suitable alternatives, given that a transformer station of the planned kind is needed, but nobody seems interested in considering them, and I have been advised not to mention them. I would have thought that our politicians would get involved, but sadly I am disappointed. I have written with care and not at length, on three occasions to our MP, Dr Coffee, but I have yet to receive an acknowledgment. I have been much more impressed by our representatives at a local level, District and County Council, but who is going to listen to them when our own MP is disinterested? Yours sincerely Peter Fife [Redacted]