Representation by Laura Blake
- Date submitted
- 14 August 2022
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The A66 Trans-Pennine project would increase carbon emissions by up to 4.4 million tonnes which is completely unacceptable, and not at all compliant with our country's legal commitment to Carbon Net Zero. The project would impact the River Eden and Tributaries and the Pennine Moors both of which are Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), with the first also being a SSSI, and later also being a Special Protection Area. This is meant to be the highest level of protection to habitats in the UK, so how can you even suggest impacting them in this way? It is wrong and cannot happen. It would also cause harm to the North Pennines AONB It would have serious consequences for wildlife, including some that are already under serious threat like red squirrels, bats, otters, water voles, roe deer, polecats, brown hare and hedgehogs. And birds such as lapwing, oystercatcher, curlew, redshank, snipe, pink footed geese, whooper swan, redwing, fieldfare, woodcock, kingfishers, redstarts, golden plover, and barn owl. I also have concerns on the negative impact the project would have on Brough Castle, Grade 2 listed Rokeby Park, and the Eden Valley Railway. There are historic and culturally important assets that deserve more respect than you are giving them. It would also have a huge impact on people and their health and well-being. Now more than ever we have realised the importance of our connection to nature and spending time in the great outdoors. To propose such a destructive project is totally unacceptable and it needs to be stopped now. Priority needs to be given to nature and to active travel, not roads. This project would negatively impact walking and cycling at a time when we need to be doing more walking and cycling both for leisure and commuting and generally getting about. The cost to people's health and well-being having such a destructive and polluting project is again totally unacceptable. Electric vehicles are not the panacea that many like to believe and suggest, and still emit deadly PM2.5.