Representation by Little Maplestead Parish Council (Little Maplestead Parish Council)
- Date submitted
- 14 July 2023
- Submitted by
- Parish councils
To: The National Grid By email: contact@bramford-twinstead.nationalgrid.com RE: BRAMFORD TO TWINSTEAD REINFORCEMENT Dear Sir, I would like to introduce myself: I am the Chairman of the Little Maplestead Parish Council. On behalf of the Council and also a parishioner, as detailed below, I am contacting you to object in the strongest possible terms to the National Grid’s proposed plans to reinforce the network between Bramford Substation in Suffolk and Twinstead Tee in Essex. Specifically,we note that you are proposing to construct a temporary ‘haul’ Road from the A131 in Little Maplestead to the Stour Valley. For the following reasons this particular proposal is totally unacceptable and has clearly been developed without any reference to the locality or the needs of the Little Maplestead residents The A131 Sudbury Road is a very busy road, and at the point that you are proposing to create a junction is subject to the national speed limit. Within a mile of your proposal is a junction at Collins road. Little Maplestead Parish Council has contacted Essex Highways to highlight the lack of visibility at this junction. However, we consider that your proposal to create a further junction would increase the overall danger for road users in this area. There is another major issue which also demands your attention and reconsideration of your proposal. The land around your proposed junction belongs to a local farmer, whose family have nurtured this land for a generation, and have added expensive drainage systems. Clearly this work would all be wasted as we understand the vehicles using the temporary road could weigh up to 100 tons, this would crush the drainage and compact the soil, rendering it useless for food production for possibly another generation. There are also issues regarding security, as farming equipment is stored behind and in the farm buildings which are currently only accessible from the front, clearly a temporary road behind the farm buildings would also open up a rear entrance, and the risk of damage or theft that this would create. Rural crime is a serious concern for all farmers. This land is grade 11 productive land, the best available for crop production, and by adding your proposed temporary road would effectively divide the farm in to two halves, and make it virtually impossible to farm economically due to the smaller size of the fields, and the large size of modern farming equipment. So, it is clear that the National Grid’s proposal takes no account of either the local motoring conditions and road layout or needs of the rural business that is conducted and has been for many years. We therefore require that you reconsider your plans as the current proposal is clearly not viable. As an alternative more acceptable solution would be to use the Collins road junction, for traffic coming from the Halstead direction, and then joining the A131 at the Catley Cross junction for the return traffic. It is considered this would be a cheaper, safer and more environmentally friendly route. Yours Sincerely C.W.Piper