Representation by C. Smith
- Date submitted
- 21 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I would first like to say that I fully support the development of renewable sources of energy, including wind. However, I am opposed to the proposed site north of Friston village for three substations (2 Scottish Power Renewables and 1 National Grid) which would feed electricity produced in the planned EA1N and EA2 windfarms into the overhead cables running from Sizewell to Bramford in Essex. In my opinion the proposed substations should be sited at Sizewell. This would avoid not only the destruction of pristine farmland which the proposed site north of Friston would entail but also the hugely disruptive process of digging a trench 50 metres wide for cables from the proposed landfall site between Thorpeness and Sizewell seven kilometres inland to Friston with all the negative impacts for the villages of Leiston, Aldringham, Coldfair Green, Friston and Knodishall. If this is not possible, then a ring main needs to be considered. My worry is that the 30-acre site proposed for the windfarm substations in Friston and the associated infrastructure and new access roads required will have a major negative impact (noise, visual and traffic) on the whole area, and not only during the period of construction. In addition, the cumulative effect of numerous major energy projects (Sizewell C, East Anglia windfarms as well as the Nautilus and Eurolink intercontinental connectors) could have an overwhelming effect which will radically change the appeal of this rural area.