Representation by Roger Green
- Date submitted
- 22 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Dear Examining Authority, Although I am an advocate of offshore and green energy, being a regular visitor to Friston over many years I feel I must write to object to the Scottish Power Renewables planning application. To situate such a development in this area is nothing short of an act of vandalism. The impact on the local community and wildlife will be unrecoverable and devastating. • This development, with seven energy projects running consecutively over a 12 to 15 year period will have an aggregate negative impact on the local community. • The planned substation are so close to existing buildings and infrastructure they will dominate the environment. • Some of the areas involved are liable to flooding. • The Thorpeness Cliffs are very fragile and therefore unsuitable as a site for landing cables. • The 11Km of cable trenches will destroy environmentally sensitive areas. • The planned cable trenches and haul roads are too close to residential homes. • The local road network is unsuitable for the high levels of heavy traffic that will be required to build and maintain the site. • The inevitable increased in traffic on these narrow roads will be a danger to cyclists and residents and increase the response time for the emergency services thus endangering lives. • The building work will involve the destruction of ancient woodland and poses a very real threat to wildlife and the important Sandlings Heath. • The work with sever the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB causing problems to migrating species and severing the wildlife corridor. • Light and noise pollution from the site means the tranquil nature and character of this part of Suffolk will be lost for ever. • Air pollution from traffic and trenches dug through Suffolk’s light sandy soil which blows/runs away will cause a visibility hazard, health issues and increase erosion. • According to the DMO report, there will be a negative impact on the tourist industry, on which much of this area relies resulting in the closure of many local business and increased unemployment leading to social and economic decline. • The permanent and temporary closure of PRoWs (footpaths, bridleways, byways and cycle paths) will exasperate the loss of tourism. • The ancient and unspoilt countryside at Friston is not a logical site for a substation complex the size of Wembley Stadium. Yours sincerely, Roger Green