Representation by Mr Hunter Smith
- Date submitted
- 22 January 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The proposed development will have irreversible and negative economic and environmental effects in The Suffolk Coast & Heaths Area, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The surrounding area, which is also predominantly rural and agricultural, draws in significant tourism and the proposed building of a vast substation involving significant construction traffic movements over a long period of time will have deleterious economic effects. Quite simply tourists who provide significant economic benefits by way of local employment and economic activity by using local businesses will move elsewhere as it becomes increasingly obvious that the area's infrastructure is unable to cope with such a vast construction undertaking. From a purely safety and environmental aspect it is clear that the existing transport infrastructure could not cope with the onslaught of major daily construction movements lasting many months. The latter may well also bring significant health risks, as well as the increased risk of traffic fatalities etc. To attempt to modify the infrastructure to be able to deal with the requirements of the building process, will of itself irrevocably change the nature of such a rural area and the surrounding landscape. Quite simply this is an ill-thought out development in the wrong area.