Representation by Leiston & District Labour Party (Leiston & District Labour Party)
- Date submitted
- 14 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
Leiston & District Branch Labour Party supports sustainable and renewable energy, such as offshore wind farms where these can be developed without damage (either onshore or offshore) to the environment and the economy. However, Friston is an inappropriate location for the large scale industrial development that Scottish Power Renewables (SPR) is proposing. It would damage both the environment and local economy, particularly tourism. These are our main concerns: • The proposed location is being driven by the National Grid Company, who are not accountable or subject to consultation. Therefore, SPR staff at consultation have been unable to respond to the challenge that Friston is the wrong place for this development. • No consideration has been given the cumulative impact of other impending major onshore development proposals in the area (e.g. Sizewell C, other windfarms, National Grid Ventures’ interconnectors) despite these being common knowledge. Government Ministers have made it very clear that companies should be working together to minimise the environmental impact of onshore developments • In the absence of co-operative planning, much greater scrutiny of commercial proposals for elements of national infrastructure by all planning authorities is required. • SPR do not appear to have evaluated properly the viable alternative routes and methods of transporting energy to shore nor the appropriate location for landfall for the output from the whole of the network off the East Anglian coast, although we believe there are more appropriate brown field sites available. • The feasibility studies, impact assessments and remediation proposals prepared thus far are inadequate and flawed. • SPR have failed to consult adequately local communities principally affected. Residents of Snape, through which most construction traffic would pass, were not consulted directly until 18 days before the end of Phase 4 consultation period. • The local roads, already heavily used by large agricultural vehicles and heavy goods vehicles, are not suitable for the projected volume of construction traffic. There would be an increase in danger to the lives of residents and visitors. The traffic impacts will not be solely on the ’turning junctions’ on the A1094, as assumed. There will be major displacement effects on the B1069 and the associated minor road network in the Snape, Friston, Sternfield and Benhall areas and neighbouring residential communities which have not been considered. • The proposed substations would create no significant economic benefit locally. Most construction, supervisory, technical and management jobs will be filled from outside the area. The proposals would negatively impact employment in tourism, since visitors would be deterred by the degradation of landscape and the noise and traffic disruption. • The 6 mile cable route through the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, would destroy parts of the Sandlings footpath. The substations will be less than 50m from a County Wildlife Site, in an area that supports a range of protected or UK priority species. • For these reasons we object to the proposed location of the SPR substation developments EA1N at Friston, Suffolk and wish to register as an interested party.