Representation by Jane Lamb
- Date submitted
- 2 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The Rampion 2 destruction of Oakendene and its route to get there.1st October 2023 To whom it may concern The Rampion 2 Substation at Oakendene. I would like to register my objection for the following reasons as this site is totally unsuitable for the purpose rampion want/need. From the start Rampion have given a lack of information and have not gone about things in the correct manor. Surely rather than destroy another part of our countryside that has an abundance of wildlife (badgers, adders, bats, grass snakes, owls, glow worms, butterflies, moths, hedgehogs, birds) which are just a few of the many animals that have made their home at Oakendene. Mr M. Burrows did his best to make an industrial estate that would work alongside nature and the countryside, there are many more species some rare which are not often seen. HOW CAN WE/YOU AGREE AND LET THIS HAPPEN. The 272 is an extremely busy road and this is just going to cause horrendous traffic problems for all concerned. I was always under the impression that small business was important in the future of this country and getting the economy growth back up. If that is the case, why would you pursue such a place to carry out the sort of works Rampion require, it would almost be impossible for companies to carry out their work and get orders out with miles of queuing traffic, the journey even to come to work in the morning would be horrendous. Cowfold which is already majorly polluted due to congestion at peak times or when there are road works would just become unbearable for people who suffer from asthma or any lung/heart condition and not all old some young ones too. PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL BE ENABLING. The 272 at cowfold can be an accident spot. With this huge substation being visible from the road, I’m sure it's going to lead to an increase in accidents as drivers' attention will be drawn to the monstrosity that Rampion aim to build. Errors have been made and I know pointed out, but those errors should NOT have been made. Now they are wanting access in Kent Street where there is a width restriction for vehicles wider than 6’6”, so this is totally unsuitable for the amount of HGV access that will be required, up to 68 per week. Originally, they identified Kent Street as unsuitable as it was a single-track lane, SO WHATS CHANGED. The hedgerows that would be destroyed for them to have the access they require it is just destruction of really old and beautiful hedges that house an abundance of wildlife. Some years ago, there was an application for functions to be held at a property Kings Barn Farm Kent Street, this was refused due to an increase in traffic. Application number DC/06/1049, can you now honestly let HGV and LGV vehicles go into this small single lane road that is in a worst state now than it was all those years ago. They are also proposing to build very close to the water course and lake on Oakendene Land is this sensible? This takes the run off from Kent Street and the land. So, to take the amount of land they want, are they going to be installing new drainage systems to deal with all the extra water that will no longer be able to be absorbed by the land? Or are they just going to cause flooding issues, for the industrial estate, which is not on mains drains? I suspect the latter. HOW CAN THIS BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. There are also electric cables that run deep under that land that supply areas of West Sussex, so tell me when there is a fault in the cable that needs to be repaired how will that be done, have Rampion taken that into account, because access will be required to dig up the land to get to the cable in need of repairing. I also remember booms were needed to be put into the water way to stop oil that was leaking out, the booms worked and did the job but have Rampion even thought of this I DOUBT IT. YOU NEED TO BEFORE AGREEING TO THIS. PLEASE TELL ME WHY WHEN THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO OBJECTION TO THE RAMPION 1 SUBSTATION WHY HAVE THEY NOT GONE NEARER TO THAT ON LAND BEHIND? That would make much more sense the connection would be nearer there have been no issues as far as I know it's not visible from the road. WHY LET THEM DESTROY MORE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE? Im all for improvement to benefit future generations and the planet, but not at the expense that future generations have no countryside left to roam round and enjoy nature at its best, trees will be destroyed and hedges which all help keep the echo system going around a successful Industrial Estate that gives employment to so many locals. What Rampion are now suggesting would quite possibly have a very negative effect on a successful business. Will customers actually want to be on an estate that is so near to a power station? what are the health implications, the risk of causing flooding on the estate as the land will no long drain as it will have been very heavily built on. ARE YOU PREPARED TO LET A SUCCESSFUL SMALL ESTATE COME TO AN END and all the individual businesses that have been on the estate, some for many years? I urge you to please look into the plans as they are now very different to what we were all led to believe. This is a decision that does not need to be made lightly. It absolutely would be a travesty to allow such destruction of the countryside on this piece of land and old ancient hedgerows.