Representation by Weybourne Parish Council (Weybourne Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 11 November 2022
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
Weybourne Parish Council wishes to raise the following principal issues relating to Equinor’s SEP/DEP DCO application: Overarching • Lack of proper consideration by the Applicant of an alternative grid connection point • Need for the ExA to require the attendance of National Grid at the Hearings, to be interrogated by the ExA on their actions, in public, during the examination process • Recognition, in relation to the work of the OTNR, that SEP/DEP is not an “in-flight” project • The onshore cumulative impacts of SEP/DEP’s landfall, substation and cable corridor construction, when considered alongside the already consented Hornsea Three, Vanguard and Boreas projects • The cumulative impact of the proposed East Anglia Green project • HVAC technology will have a greater footprint and impact on habitat and biodiversity than HVDC; Equinor should commit to HVDC • Sequential development of the SEP/DEP project is unacceptable • Requirement for targeted community compensation. Areas that are disproportionately affected (e.g. Weybourne and Cawston) should receive a greater “slice of the cake”. Such funding should be used for projects to benefit the community without restrictions applied by Equinor or the grant management body Local to Weybourne • Requirement to use HDD for bringing cables onshore. • Weybourne depends on tourism, especially in April-October, while walkers, birdwatchers and anglers bring in vital revenue to local businesses in the low season. • Weybourne is a working fishing village, with the fishermen launching from the beach. • Landowners report adverse impacts to agricultural land from previous wind farm construction: damage to underground watercourses and drainage, and soil compaction, reducing the viability of farming. • The roads in Weybourne are unsuitable for HGVs and exceptional loads. The A149 becomes extremely busy during the tourist season, congestion builds up very rapidly. There are no pavements along the A149 through most of the village, but the road is regularly used by pedestrians. • Beach Lane is a County Wildlife Site. Its close proximity to the landfall site makes it vulnerable. • The pond/reedbed is an important and locally scarce habitat. • The PEIR has not included the importance of the Weybourne/ Muckleburgh area for migrating birds. This is an important landfall/take-off site for migratory birds, which birds can use for resting/foraging on arrival or prior to leaving. There are few other similar features on the North Norfolk coast. • Spring Beck is a chalk stream, an internationally rare habitat. Equinor must be required to use HDD under Spring Beck. • Trenchless technology must be used to cross all highways. • Requirement to maintain the integrity of Weybourne Woods to avoid habitat fragmentation; habitat loss must be mitigated. • Equinor must be required to reinstate wildlife corridors without delay. • The PEIR addresses the issue of cumulative impact only in terms of increased noise/traffic etc due to the overlap of projects, and assesses this as minor/negligible. For the community, the impact of the repeated disruption is significant. Weybourne has already suffered Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon, with Hornsea 3 imminent. SEP and DEP will therefore be the 4th and 5th sets of cables going through our beautiful “tranquil” village, which lies in an AONB.