Representation by *WITHDRAWN* CARE Suffolk CIC (*WITHDRAWN* CARE Suffolk CIC)
- Date submitted
- 18 July 2023
- Submitted by
- Non-statutory organisations
Dear Sir/ Madam, Ref: Bramford to Twinstead – Registration Submission for CARE Suffolk CIC I am writing to you on behalf of CARE Suffolk CIC. We are a community group of residents in parishes around the Bramford substation, who came together in 2020 with the goals of protecting the rural landscape in our area, promoting the benefits of open green spaces, and helping local communities make the most of these precious, but often undervalued, resources. In relation to this Bramford to Twinstead transmission application, CARE Suffolk has members in Bramford and Burstall, who would bear the brunt of the residual impacts from the development in this area. Whilst our concerns relate specifically to the Bramford and Burstall area of the proposal, we understand that some of our concerns are shared along other parts of the route. Though we will leave the specifics of other areas of the route to the communities more suited for those appraisals. We understand the need for reinforcement works to the transmission system and we support the chosen route in the parishes of Bramford and Burstall. But our opinion differs on whether the proposal before us really is the best option overall. We believe there are significant residual impacts, which have not yet been adequately addressed by the Applicant. CARE Suffolk has submitted representations during both the Non-Statutory Consultation in 2021 and the Statutory Consultation in 2022. We ask that you accept this as our formal request to be considered as an Interested Party in the DCO application process. Our concerns can be summarised under the following two outlines, which we ask be considered in more depth during the Examination phase: Significant cumulative impacts from existing and proposed development at Bramford - The explosion of energy infrastructure development proposed to engulf the surrounding greenfield countryside of Bramford substation will undoubtedly have a significant cumulative impact on everything in the area. The landscape would be radically altered from an arable landscape to an industrial wasteland, wildlife and protected species would be foisted from their homes and habitats, and the buzz of electricity would hang over any remaining remnants. The draft NPS EN-5 places an emphasis on the mitigation hierarchy, and we believe this hierarchy has not been fully reflected in the proposal around Bramford substation and for residents of Burstall when the cumulative impacts are considered. Future connection agreements with National Grid and pre-determination - In 2021 National Grid informed us that Bramford Substation was at capacity for third-party connections, and that the planned extensions at the substation meant any remaining connections would be inaccessible and thus removed from the available connection register. So it is of concern that two large contracts (300MW+) have since been approved by National Grid for connection when new transmission capacity as a result of this development becomes available. The approval of these contracts as an indication of pre-determination, and the full potential cumulative impacts as a result of this development and its wider objectives through the direct enablement of supplementary infrastructure need to be investigated during the Examination. The need to consider the accumulation of, and interrelationship between, effects that might affect the environment, economy or community as a whole, even though they may be acceptable when considered on an individual basis with mitigation measures in place is well established. We wish to be part of those conversations. Yours Sincerely, Samantha Main Chair