Representation by Tony Morley
- Date submitted
- 22 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
SPR's proposal to site on-shore substations next to the village of Friston are completely unacceptable for the following reasons:- The Consultation meetings were very unsatisfactory and no one from National Grid attended any meeting. The proposed site would cover 83 acres of good agricultural land overlooking a small village of 150 houses. This is an area of deeply rural countryside with numerous rights of way and considerable wildlife. The buildings would be up to 25 metres high and just 350 metres from residential housing and listed buildings and would overlook homes, the Church and Village Green. The substations would generate an upsetting humming noise as well as light pollution that would affect the health and quality of life of residents. The concreting over of 83 acres would exacerbate the current serious flood problems at Friston. SPR have not made any assessment of the proposed mitigation measures to avoid additional flooding in Friston. The projected HGV transport movements are quite unrealistic for the narrow roads and would cause very serious problems for residents, local business's, farmers and the holiday makers so essential to the economy of this area. There would almost certainly be accident casualties of road users such as cyclists, walkers and horse riders if this proposal went ahead. The proposed landfall at Thorpeness is ridiculous as the coast there is rapidly eroding and any cable terminal would soon be at risk. The proposed 6 mile cable route would destroy farmland , AONB sites and mature trees that could not be replaced. The road crossings of the route would seriously affect traffic for between 3 and 6 years. There is a perfectly good alternative site at Broom Covert next to the Sizewell A & B sites that SPR say they won't consider as it's within the AONB. However the Suffolk Preservation Society (SPS) - part of the CPRE - have written to SPR (letter dated 6/11/18) saying the Friston site is "not supportable" and they state that Broom Covert is more suitable as a site and would avoid the 6 miles of chaos caused by excavating the cableway. There would be a straightforward sea to shore access at at Sizewell with a much reduced erosion risk. SPS pointed out SPR that the Galloper Examination Panel accepted that onshore infrastructure could be sited within an AONB without a need for "exceptional circumstances". SO WHY HAVEN'T SPR CHOSEN THE OBVIOUS SITE AND CHOSEN TO RUIN THE COUNTRYSIDE AND PEOPLES LIVES? The best solution for this and the further 6 approved - and further planned - substations would be to site them offshore feeding into an offshore ring main or, at least, a number of substations feeding into a smaller number of cables linking to the Grid. This would save our countryside and all construction materials would be delivered by sea avoiding chaos on our rural roads. THIS IS THE SOLUTION CHOSEN BY HOLLAND, GERMANY AND DENMARK - WHY NOT UK?