Representation by Linda Pauline Grover
- Date submitted
- 14 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
As a resident of Friston I fully support the representations made by S.A.S.E.S and Friston Parish Council. I believe siting the substation so incredibly close to the village, within metres of housing and an ancient church will damage the quality of life of Friston residents, most of whom have moved to this area for its tranquility and natural setting. I cannot stress enough how this community is suffering from the uncertainty of what is going to happen here, not only with the plans of SPR but also with the cumulative impact of having Sizewell C, Nautilus, Eurolink, Galloper and Greater Gabbard knocking at our door. “Energy Coast?” more like “Energy Village” and shame on those who allow this to go ahead without thought to the consequences for residents and for the area as a whole which will undoubtedly lose its special appeal for visitors when huge areas are laid waste to concrete, metal and industrial buildings. I ask that you take consideration of the following: . Visual Harm which cannot be mitigated . Light pollution-24 hrs during construction and motion sensor lighting during operation instead of the clear skies at night which we have at present. . Noise pollution-harmonic filters will be unscreened. We demand no discernible noise from the substation, inside or out, day or night, it’s what we have now and should not be allowed to change. . Loss of equity- interest in property in Friston is down 40% and has a lower than average increase in house pricing . Major traffic implications-SPR have confirmed they will only be able to monitor HGV activity. Friston’s roads are country lanes, twisting and narrow with no pavements. These single track lanes will become rat runs, resident’s drives will have to be used for passing traffic causing damage to property. Walkers and cyclists will be put in danger from speeding vehicles. The local roads outside of Friston will become congested and there will be an impact on emergency vehicle access. . Flooding- drainage infrastructure is inadequate. SPR state clearly there is increased flood risk, Friston has already flooded 3 times since November 2019. No assessment of the Friston watercourse has been undertaken by SPR and no account taken of surface water flooding. .damage to tourism-absolutely massive - absolutely no doubt. . Lazy substation design-structures 18 metres high whereas Rampion substation is 8 metres high. SPR could put real effort into a low impact design. . Sizewell evacuation plan -SPR have not consulted with Sizewell over this !! . Historic footpaths -The area will lose historic footpaths for ever and 26 rights of way along the cable route will temporarily close. . Wildlife-30 acres of wildlife habitat will go to make way for the substation but the overall impact will be more like 80 acres taking into account hedgerows and woods. SPR has not carried out an impact to wildlife assessment outside of the AONB but bats, badgers and birds will be affected to name but a few. There isn’t an invisible line separating the AONB, animals and nature do cross over!! . No economic benefit- Less tourism and less home buying will impact on jobs, leading to more unemployment in the area. . Flawed processes -by SPR. The Bramford pipeline should have been used or other brown field sites considered. We are real people with real lives, not statistics. For every one of us who is writing to you there are another hundred who do not feel articulate or knowledgeable enough to write but who protest at the encroaching energy coast. Please remember the hundreds who live here when you decide on which legacy you will leave us with.