Representation by Sarah E Warren
- Date submitted
- 1 November 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
It is the polar opposite - increasing emissions and damage to our environment of what public money must be spent on at this eleventh hour in the climate and biodiversity emergency. The scheme would: Increase carbon emissions by almost two million extra tonnes. The construction emissions are 428,626 tCO2e (Table 15-21 of the Environmental Statement) all within the critical fourth carbon budget, taking us further away from reaching our 68% cut by 2030 required under the Paris Agreement. The extra traffic over the 60-year lifetime of the scheme would cause an extra 1,535,559 tCO2e (Table 15-22). So the total extra carbon emissions caused by this scheme are 1,964,185 tonnes, making it harder for us to reduce emissions fast enough in a climate emergency. Have a devastating impact on wildlife already under threat including bats, badgers, otters, brown hare, hedgehogs, barn owls, breeding and wintering birds, common reptiles, great crested newts, fish and other water-living animals Destroy 45 hectares of woodland, potential veteran trees, 16km of hedgerows, and impact on nature reserves Not be good value for money, costing £1.2 billion while delivering few economic benefits overall Lead to the loss of 473 hectares of arable farmland, threatening our food security Increase noise and air pollution Increase severance for people walking and cycling, sending them on long detours or complicated and awkward crossings Impact on heritage assets including grade I listed Boreham House and grade I listed Parish Church of All Saints, two grade II* and nine grade II listed buildings.