Advice to David Bath
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- From
- David Bath
- Date advice given
- 7 November 2013
- Enquiry type
E-mail received by the Planning Inspectorate from Mr David Bath below:
I strongly object to the Hinkley Point C connection project using pylons to distribute new energy supplies across Somerset to reach Avonmouth. This connection project does not consider the Somerset people or the Somerset countryside / environment enough and is being driven by cost and what is most convenience to National grid. The Somerset levels are a unique landscape which should be cherished and protected from infrastructure projects of this nature.
Sub-sea: The Hinkley point C connection project should be Sub-sea. This has been shown as adding only £1.00 to the bill of householders. It would avoid a long lasting scar to the environment seeing miles and miles of gigantic pylons. It would stop communities being disrupted along the proposed route of the pylons. Allow other projects such as off shore wind to feed into the route. It would prevent any health risks from the 440 voltage cables. National Grid must continue to find viable solutions to their negative reasons of not going sub-sea. With the delay of the Hinkley C power station National Grid have time to do this work.
Underground: A second option is for this Hinkley C connection is under ground. By traditional National grid methods or the use of gas insulated lines used in Europe. The cost could be negligible, about 75p per household, although there will be massive disruption to Somerset communities and the environment whilst it is being built. After completion there will be a lesser long term impact to communities and the local landscape. Less visual impact throughout Somerset and prevention of health risks to communities in the area.
STUDY AREA B:
Specific comments
The impact on the community now and the future is absolutely disastrous.
The pylons will run parallel to Biddisham Lane across a flat landscape. The pylons even with the new design will be massively higher and wider than the current pylons (PL 1 Std HT) which run along this route at the moment, making them significantly more visual. The visual impact from Biddisham Lane cannot be hidden as pylon screening will be greatly reduced. National Grid requires 10m clearance of trees and hedges from each pylon.
Views looking north to the Mendip hills across this flat landscape have been recognised and documented by National Grid for their local importance of flora and fauna and have a significant value to the community. Other National Grid documents state that the pylons will only have moderate to minor impact to the landscape. This demonstrates how sadly the National Grid perceives the importance of the local community as the pylons will have a massive impact, blighting the landscape and destroying the valued views. The sealing end compound for the Loxton gap under grounding will add to the dramatic visual impact locally. It will use many acres of valuable grazing land. It will be significantly noticeable from the Mendip Hills ? Crooks Peak ? an area of outstanding natural beauty. Lighting of the compound will effect local residence and cause light pollution in a rural area
Work area 2D on A38.
This works area based in Tarnock / Biddisham was only divulged by National Grid during this last round of consultation ? this is totally unacceptable.
It is planned to follow a highly dangerous red route road. Frequent accidents occur with assioated fatalities. Selecting this section of the road for lorry turning in and out across the A38 even with a managed road system will cause local traffic chaos. The compound will have valuable hedgerows and trees removed. This will have a direct impact on noise and light pollution. This area is also of significant historical interest ? and the works will cause damage to beneath the ground archaeology. Any night work will give disruption to the village of Biddisham and community rural life.
Noise
Noise from the increased voltage line. Noise travels across Somerset levels easily, trees and hedges help to dissipate the noise ? but these will be removed. Rain increases the noise levels, the weather is often damp. Houses at Tarnock are very close to the new T pylon proposed. Noise from the installation of the pylons and the construction work lorries will also carry across the fields. Sedgemoor Planning department committee are well aware of the impact of noise on the Somerset levels.
EMF ? The Hinkley connection has been designed for optimum phasing of the lattice pylon and not the T pylon planned for Biddisham. This means there is a greater health risk especially to children. Biddisham has a large nursery school and houses at Tarnock. I believe these fall outside of the National Grid guidelines of a 60 meter clearance. There is a lack of information on the works access routes shown as blue lines off Biddisham Lane. Biddisham Lane has houses with road frontages, no passing places and rhynes along the road edge. It is unsuitable for heavy and large verchicles. Wild life disruption including thickets are used for deer. These will be removed by National Grid. Please be aware, the way that National Grid has consulted the local Communities over the past few years has been greatly faulted. Feedback from the Mendip forum group has been ignored.
National Grid only supplied limited information, which gave a positive reflection to the project. i.e. the resent DVD shows only good views not the real view at the Tarnock / A38 area. Another example is landscaping of pylons through the terrain of hills etc ? this cannot happen on the Somerset levels.
Detailed information was only offered if requested and again explanations and information was kept to a minimum; i.e. the ?T pylon design? was only discussed as one design not the fact that the design varies along the route for angles and that the T pylon is smaller than the proposed pylon and overlooked it is higher than the pylons already in place.
Specific community information which related to a sensitive part of the connection was gleamed over and well hidden in documents which were very difficult to find or not present. i.e. the storage area at Biddisham. During National Grid community sessions, the compound was skiped over, stating it would be of minimal impact to the area but the National Grid documents show this is not correct with 2 storey high portacabins.
I feel that National Grid has given communities ?lip service? to tick the box and that National Grid was always going to select preferred route 1a corridor using pylon technology. Numerous ideas and technical information has been given to National Grid to prevent pylons and now with the Hinkley C delay and government support for the project, they have had time to find a more friendly community solution for this important energy connection.
Advice given
Response from the Planning Inspectorate attached.