Advice to Mya Manakides
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- From
- Mya Manakides
- Date advice given
- 22 May 2019
- Enquiry type
Dear Sir/Madame, Further to my email sent on the 26th of April, there is one additional item I would wish to bring to your attention when considering the SPR application for EA1N & EA2 wind farms. There are two additional energy infrastructure project under consideration for this immediate area. One is EDF’s Sizewell C nuclear power station and the other is The National Grid Interconnector project (the later which may not be considered as a DCO). There is also talk of a requirement for battery storage units for when there is excess energy generated off shore. It remains unclear to us if the battery storage units will be under SPR’s or National Grid’s remit. While under construction the Sizewell C project will have an enormous effect on the local area for well over a decade. The interconnector project appears to have a direct relationship to the on shore wind farm infrastructure and will mean more cable trenching and further structures on shore to be located adjacent to SPR's sub-stations. Any proposals for batter storage units will also need to be located in the vicinity of the sub-stations. To be able to evaluate the EAST ANGLIA 1N & EAST ANGLIA 2 WIND FARMS PROPOSALS you need to take into account all of the other proposal concurrently under consideration for this area. You will need to understand the magnitude of all these developments on the local area in order to evaluate SPR’s proposal. One can not pretend that they do not exist and view each proposal in isolation. I kindly ask that you urge central government in conjunction with the local authorities to devise a coherent and comprehensive energy strategy for the infrastructure developments required to serve the nation's future energy needs. If these projects are left to private companies to prescribe in a free-for-all manor vast sections of the countryside and local communities will be needlessly devastated. I trust that you will not be able to accept for Examination the SPR application, until the cumulative impact of all the projects proposed for this area have been understood. Kind regards, Mya Manakides
Advice given
The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) set out mitigation for cumulative negative effects by requiring the Secretary of State to consider accumulation of effects as a whole in their decision-making on individual applications for development consent. I would draw your attention to NPS EN-1 which provides more information in relation to relevant policy, particularly chapter 4.2 Environmental Statement. And to Advice Note 17, which is available with the other advice notes linked below, which provides more information on the legal context and obligations for cumulative effects assessment (CEA). As well as an overview of the CEA process the developer may adopt. If you would like more information about the Planning Act 2008 process, please see “Advice Note Eight: Overview of the nationally significant infrastructure planning process for members of the public and others” which can be found along with other advice notes, here: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/legislation-and-advice/advice-notes/