Representation by Roger Osborn
- Date submitted
- 30 January 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
This representation concerns primarily the connection of the Sunnica project at a new Burwell substation extension. I would contend that the option 1 connection site is too close to the housing of Burwell village. In particular that it will create excessive extra noise in operation, on top of the noise from the original substation, and the more recently added 50MW SMS battery installation. In the case of the latter, in certain modes of operation, it makes a significant low frequency roar clearly audible in residential areas. In particular, Table 11.17 of document “EN010106 Volume 1, Environmental Statement, 6.1 Chapter 11: Noise and Vibration” shows an adverse effect at Burwell receptor R1 (a residential area). Section 11.8.32 of the document makes it clear that the noise will particularly have an adverse effect at night. As the document is dated November 2021 it also presumably does not take into account the extra noise already produced by the fans of the SMS 50MW battery installation. In making this point about potential noise I believe I am reiterating an observation that East Cambridgeshire Council made during the consultation about complaints from villagers about existing substation noise. Consequently, the project should not be allowed to proceed unless the new substation can be guaranteed near silent in operation or placed at the alternative site further away from the village’s residential area. Given the village has already sacrificed rural quiet and wildlife habitat for national infrastructure, to host one of only two large battery installations in the country, this request seems to me entirely reasonable.