Advice to Claire Talbot
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- From
- Claire Talbot
- Date advice given
- 22 October 2013
- Enquiry type
E-mail and attachment received by the Planning Inspectorate on from Claire Talbot:
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 is not considering 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 infra structure projects of this nature.
Subsea: The Hinkley Point C connection project should be Subsea. Independent reports show the cost of this against pylons would be negligible. However, National Grid refuses to accept these findings. It would avoid a long lasting scare to the environment, miles and miles of gigantic pylons. It would stop communities being disrupted along the proposed pylon route. 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 subsea. 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 would be undergrounding. By traditional National grid methods or the use of gas insulated lines used in Europe. This is achievable as National Grid have already selected to underground part of the connection ? eg Loxton Gap Again the on cost is negliable per household. Although there will be massive disruptions to Somerset communities and the land whilst it is being built. After it is completed there will be less long term impact to communities and the environment. Less visual impact throughout Somerset. Prevention of health risks to communities.
STUDY AREA B: Specific comments related to where I live in Biddisham.
The impact on our 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. Visual impact from Biddisham Lane can not 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 and have great 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 National Grid perceives the importance of the local community as the pylons will have a massive impact, blighting the landscape and destroying the valued view from any direction.
The sealing end compound for the Loxton gap undergrounding 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 ? Crook Peak ? an area of outstanding beauty. Lighting of the compound will effect local residence and cause light pollution.
Work area 2D on A38. This works area based in Tarnock / Biddisham was only divulged by National Grid during this last round of consultation ? totally unacceptable.
It is planned on the highly dangerous A38 red route road. Frequent accidents occur with 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. 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. Dampness exentricates the noise, 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 fall outside of the National Grid guidelines of I believe 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 vehicles.
Wild life disruption. Thickets are used by deer. These will be removed by National Grid.
Please note: The way that National Grid has consulted the local Communities over the past few years has been greatly faulted.
National Grid only supplied limited information to the community, which gave a positive reflection to the project in mail shots, presentation boards and the resent DVD. For example the DVD only shows good views of how the pylons will look at Tarnock on the A38 not the real view looking north. 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 ie T pylon design 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 over looked it is higher than the pylons already in place.
Specific community information which related to a sensitive part of the connection was gleaned over and well hidden in documents which were very difficult to find/ or not present. ie the storage area at Biddisham. During National Grid community sessions, the compound was dumbed down 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 they have time to find a more friendly community solution for this important energy connection.
Advice given
Response, letter sent via e-mail, from the Planning Inspectorate attached.