Representation by Louise Rose E Mangeot
- Date submitted
- 26 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
INTRODUCTION Whilst renewable energy will contribute towards securing the Nation’s future energy needs (and zero carbon target); I wish to protect the special landscape, AONB, SSSI, RSPB Minsmere, communities, heritage and value of this exceptional coastal part of Suffolk. The negative impact this project would have on me as an individual, business-owner and member of the community cannot be overestimated. I object to the choice of the village of Friston for the location of substation complexes and all the resulting infrastructure as totally inappropriate with significant negative impacts (both short and long term): THORPENESS and nearby area Fragility of coastline and cliffs. Impact on seabed processes/marine life and flood risk. Cable trenches, compounds, haul-roads near residential/business properties (such as 16m-wide tree loss associated with cabling at Aldringham Court Nursing Home causing permanent harm to the setting of this asset) and loss of valuable local woodland/agricultural land. ROADS Totally unsuitable for high additional volumes, HGVs, worker’s cars. Impact of closures, rat-runs. Reduced emergency access. Unacceptable journey times to/from healthcare, business and daily-life destinations. Local and connecting areas gridlocked. ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT My businesses (run from my currently peaceful location on Thorpeness cliffs with magnificent wide sea and heath-land views) won’t have a viable customer base due to scale of disruptions and change to our environment and lives; causing the loss of my livelihood. Destruction of peace and tranquillity both in daylight and hours of darkness (from 24/7 illumination). Negative impact on me/my clients/visitors’ health and well-being: Loss of footpaths, cycleways. Light, noise, air pollution/dust. Significant harm to wildlife/habitats. All leading to significantly reduced value of my home/property/business - already ‘blighted’. COORDINATED APPROACH I support an offshore Ring-main, with associated onshore infrastructure on brown-field sites only - which won’t progressively erode the landscape/environmental quality, and economy of Suffolk. Cumulative impact of up to 7 energy projects which will occur (using same National Grid substation but requiring huge additional convertor stations) over next decade, should this project be approved. LONG TERM Harmful impact will remain beyond generating life of wind-farm – unlikely obsolete structures will be removed nor cable trench areas restored. CONCLUSION In addition to the detailed points above, a more coordinated delivery of energy NSIPs is called for in East Suffolk. Along with a more effective strategy to manage the associated infrastructure in a way that minimizes the harm to our natural and built heritage, our landscapes and the communities who live here. The current adhoc approach fails to consider the long-term environmental damage and the cumulative impact, and I am strongly opposed to schemes which do not give proper weight to identifying the injurious consequences and fail to mitigate or, where necessary compensate for them. I fully agree with the submission by Substation Action Save East Suffolk (SASES) and ask you to consider this along with my comments. What is proposed would devastate this internationally recognised unique rural coastal location and transform it into a large-scale industrial site. I totally object to this application as it is being proposed.