Representation by Mali Eber Rose
- Date submitted
- 25 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I am a regular visitor to the Suffolk Heritage coast staying with friends who live near Friston. I do not object to offshore wind farms what I object to is the onshore installations which will cause enormous irreparable damage to this peaceful and tranquil area. SPR plans to construct one of the largest substations complexes in Europe, the size of Wembley stadium, in the heart of a tightly constrained medieval community. This is unprecedented. It demands intense investigation. I adopt all the submissions made by SASES and Friston Parish Council and in addition object for the following reasons: Environment: the choice of the unstable and fragile cliffs at Thorpeness as the cable landing site. The destruction of environmentally sensitive areas, the threat to wildlife, the loss of ancient woodland and the permanent loss of PRoW’s along the cable route and at Friston. Heritage: 5 Grade 2 AND 2*listed properties encircle the SPR/NG substation site dating from mediaeval times. Heritage impacts are significantly underestimated by SPR. Visualisations used are highly selective and do not include key views. Industrial scale infrastructure will be sited within 300 metres of listed buildings. Construction work will occur on the very boundary of some properties and the impact will be devastating. No mitigation temporary or permanent mitigation could ever remedy the damage. Cumulative impact: SPR and NG plan a series of constructions at Friston which will be a hub or plug and socket for a series of ventures. The Authority must resist attempts by SPR/NG to argue that this is a one-off and determine the extent of these plans and assess impact cumulatively. There is no joined up Government thinking or strategy to protect the environment. Construction: The lengthy periods spoken of will destroy the peace for the much of the current residents’ lives. There is no protection against dust and noise. There is no protection against light pollution. The view for some will be obliterated. The area will be blighted by traffic congestion. In real terms people will lose the amenity of their homes for years. This devastation is multiplied if the Authority permits the developments to be considered consecutively. Post-construction: The vast scale of the sub-station with 18metre high buildings will dominate the local landscape. Mitigation through planting is futile. The planting of trees will fail to conceal this monolith and will take decades for planting to mature. The increase in noise pollution will blight the rural peace and quiet and is significantly underestimated by SPR. The ancient footpaths will disappear. The substation will be lit and will create permanent light pollution and SPR/NG have made no effort to reduce the scale of the construction. Local area: The substation will bring zero long term wealth to the area. It will blight tourism and will deter inward investment. It will harm capital values of properties. It is already harming the mental health of those living locally.