Representation by Andrew Douch
- Date submitted
- 15 March 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I object to the Sunnica DCO application for the following reasons: 1. The BESS element of the scheme appears to dominate the electrical generation capacity: it appears as if this is a battery storage scheme with a solar farm added on. The use of Lithium-Ion batteries for BESS installations isn't subject to sufficient regulation from central government. There are homes and businesses within a few hundred metres of all three of the BESS compounds. The BESS compounds include substations and air conditioning units which will generate substantial levels of noise. There are no provisions in the application to protect nearby residents and businesses, including equine businesses, from this noise. 2. Farmland in this area is used to grow a wide range of crops. The soil is versatile, e.g. growing high quality potatoes and carrots that cannot be grown in other areas. Removing over 1000 hectares of versatile agricultural land from food production for a generation negatively affects our food security. 3. Roads in this area are generally narrow, C class, with passing places and unsuitable for HGV. The access points to the scheme are located along single-track sections of these roads, and the high volumes of construction traffic will damage the road surface, lead to overrunning and damage to hedgerows and negatively affect residents and businesses in the area. 4. The idea of a decommissioning bond was described in multiple webinars by Sunnica representatives, but there is no mention of such a bond in the DCO application. There must be a fully-funded bond at the outset of construction, in case the facility becomes uneconomic to operate. 5. Unlike the pictures on the websites of the companies behind Sunnica, such as PS Renewables, the design of the scheme doesn't include sufficient set-backs from public rights of way and roads. Ancillary areas such as substations are sited near to the edges of the scheme, in clear view. The proposed mitigation is uniform, unsuitable and to the lowest common denominator leaving residents with clear view of the panels and infrastructure for up to 15 years while hedgerows grow, often where no hedgerows existed before. This will alter the landscape character of the area, and blur the unique landscape of this area, as it is located at the junction of the Fens, Breckland and rolling Chalkland landscapes. The excessive size of the scheme, divided across multiple elongated sites, presents a far longer perimeter to the area than would be the case if the scheme was located in a single location or of a more appropriate size. 6. It is unacceptable to close Public Rights of Way in a blanked fashion while the scheme is being constructed. There are very few footpaths in this area, and closing paths between villages isolates communities and prevents people enjoying recreation such as walking and horse riding. 7. The use of compulsory acquisition to enable the scheme must not be approved, when there is no chance that it could be built without it. 8. Sunnica have not described any community benefits deriving from the scheme.