Representation by Mrs Judith Webberley
- Date submitted
- 18 February 2020
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
I strongly object to the Aquind development proposal for the following reasons: 1. The size and nature of proposed development is in direct contrast to the present characteristic of the area, which is chiefly agricultural. Aquind’s reasoning for using this Proposed Place is based on one of their fundamental arguments, namely the need to site the Converter Station as close as possible to the existing substation. However they are using an arbitrary figure of 2 km for ‘as close as’, which very conveniently is exactly the Proposed Place. In fact there is nearby one High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Interconnector already under construction, namely IFA2 at Daedalus Airfield, Leigh on the Solent. There the distance between Converter Station and National Grid is approx 7 km. Using this distance from Lovedean there would have been potential sites more suited to industrial usage. 2. From their first public consultations in our area Aquind has been consistently underplaying the size and the obtrusiveness of the Converter Station. Our house is No.7 on the list of ‘Residential Receptors’ (PEIR Chapter 15 Section 5.2.47). The view from the back garden is just 200m from View point B, used to illustrate the visual impact of the Converter Station on the landscape. The actual and most recent view is now shown on EN020022-000722-6.2.15.36 ES - Vol 2 - Figure 15.36 Viewpoint B View from Old Mill Lane (south west). The huge building shown, which will clearly be visible even after 20 years growth of vegetation, is in direct contrast to the idealized view shown at the Public Exhibitions during January 2018 and even to Figure 9 of View point B on page 34 of the Consultation Document (February 2019). This view (Figure 9) was even referred to the Denmead Parish Council (District Cll. Brook’s question) as being an illustrative image. 3. A minor point: there is an Access Point shown on a drawing, which does not exist. It is on Figure 15.49 Indicative Landscape Mitigation Plan Option B(i) south (Envirtonmental Statement – Volume 2). The access point is shown in Broadway Lane (south) approx. 15m from its junction with Edney’s Lane/Old Mill Lane.