Back to list East Anglia ONE North Offshore Windfarm

Representation by Helen Payne

Date submitted
19 January 2020
Submitted by
Members of the public/businesses
  1. I am in favour of wind power. I am in favour of offshore wind farms. I am against the on-shoring of capacity which destroys unspoilt countryside when better solutions exist using brownfield sites and off-shore hubs. Green energy risks becoming dirty green energy. 2. No other substation has ever been built so close to a village community. Friston dates from the Middle Ages and cutting it up and inserting this monolith will destroy a rural way of life which has existed since then. To wilfully destroy a medieval inheritance is unprecedented and demands investigation. The proposal will particularly impact children, elderly and vulnerable residents. Tranquil countryside is known to be good for mental and physical health. 3. The construction phase would bring dust, noise, light pollution, increased traffic. The construction period will take a long time, and these deleterious effects will only heighten in the event of consecutive developments. 4. Post-construction, the inevitable increase in noise will blight the peace. The substation will be lit and will create permanent light pollution. The vast scale of the sub-station will dominate the landscape. Mitigation through a limited planting programme is futile and will take years. The peace and beauty of the surrounding countryside will be lost. The area is criss-crossed by ancient footpaths which are a joy to discover and re-discover. 5. There will be a long-lasting negative impact on biodiversity. This part of Suffolk is the habitat for many species of small mammals and birds many of which are threatened species as well as rare wildflowers. The area is surrounded by moats and ponds. These provide habitats for newts, toads, hare, hedgehogs, ferrets, occasional otters, muntjac, deer, owls, buzzards and other birds of prey, many of these species are in danger of decline. 6. The proposal will cause economic harm to East Suffolk: Friston is a jewel in the East Suffolk countryside. It is a charming rural idyll, and yet conveniently situated for the thousands of tourists who visit East Suffolk annually, with the coast nearby and Saxmundham’s supermarkets and train station up the road. The substation will bring no wealth to the area but will blight tourism. It will deter inward investment and harm capital values of properties: many of these are listed and unlisted heritage assets, some dating from the 16th century. The environment they are in will be diminished, their value will drop and with it the incentive to properly guard and maintain them will be lost. Realistically, people will not spend money cherishing a house which is spoilt by a sub-station which destroys the countryside and village around it. 7. Finally, I adopt all the submissions made by Substation Action|Save East Suffolk and Friston Parish Council.