Representation by John Woolfenden (John Woolfenden)
- Date submitted
- 1 July 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
SAVE HONEY HILL AT FEN DITTON THE HONEY HILL SITE FOR A PROPOSED NEW SEWERAGE TREATMENT PLANT HAS BEEN ILL -THOUGHT OUT BY OUR 'SUPPOSEDLY’ ILLUSTRIOUS PLANNERS OF THE ENVIRONMENT". THE HONEY HILL SITE IS SITUATED FAR TOO NEAR THE WELL ESTABLISHED AND QUAINT VILLAGES OF BOTH FEN DITTON AND HORNINGSEA. IT IS FAR TOO NEAR BOTH RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL, DESPITE ASSURANCES AND THE USE OF THE LATEST HIGH-TECH EQUIPMENT, IT WOULD BE VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MASK ALL “UNPLEASANT ODOURS", WHICH WOULD BE EMITTED ESPECIALLY IN THE HOT WEATHER! THE CURRENT SITE AT MILTON HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED OVER MANY, MANY YEARS AND LAND IS AVAILABLE ADJACENT FOR FURTHER EXTENSIONS. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE REASON ANGLIAN WATER WANT TO BUILD A NEW TREATMENT PLANT IS THAT IT WOULD SAVE THEM QUITE AS LOT OF MONEY IF THEY DID NOT HAVE TO TAKE OUT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF REDUNDANT PLANT AT MILTON, THE DUMPING OF WHICH WOULD INVOLVE CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. IT IS FAR EASIER FOR ANGLIAN WATER TO START WITH A PRISTINE SITE ON WHICH THEY COULD INSTALL MODERN TREATMENT EQUIPMENT. BEARING IN MIND THAT ALL WATER COMPANIES IN THE UK ARE GUILTY OF ALLOWING EFFLUENT TO DISCHARGE INTO RIVERS AND LOWLANDS, CAN THEY BE TRUSTED TO CARRY OUT ANY WORKS TO THE ADVANTAGE OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND ENVIRONMENT? I DO NOT SUPPOSE ANYONE HAS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, NOISE AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS, THE SEVERE UPHEAVAL TO LOCAL LIFE, THE CURRENT ROADS IN THE AREA ARE CERTAINLY NOT SUITABLE FOR HEAVY GOODS VEHICLES. LOCAL RESIDENTS WOULD HAVE TO ENDURE MONTHS AND MONTHS OF A LIVING NIGHTMARE. I AM NOT THAT WELL ACQUAINTED WITH CHALK AQUIFERS, BUT IT WOULD SEEM ON FACE VALUE THAT AS CHALK IS A WELL- KNOWN FILTER, THE EFFECT OF ANY SEWERAGE EFFLUENT COULD ONLY BE HARMFUL TO A VERY WIDE AREA. THE CURRENT SITE IS COMPARATIVELY WELL-HIDDEN FROM THE NAKED EYE AND GENERAL PUBLIC, ANY SUCH TREATMENT WORKS AT FEN DITTON WOULD BE BOTH INTRUSIVE AND A BLOT ON THE LANDSCAPE. I AM NOT A RESIDENT OF FEN DITTON, AS I LIVE SOME 3 MILES AWAY, BUT MY VIEWS ARE THOSE A RESPONSIBLE [Redacted] RESIDENT OF CAMBRIDGE WHOSE SOLE WISH IS FOR IT TO REMAIN A "GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND. THE TREATMENT WORKS AT FEN DITTON WOULD CERTAINLY PUT AN END TO ALL THAT! THE MILTON SITE CAN BE EXTENDED TO COPE WITH ANTICIPATED TREATMENT FOR MANY DECADES AHEAD. BEARING IN MIND GOVERNMENT POLICY OF ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENT OF BROWNFIELD SITES, IT COULD WELL BE THAT ANGLIAN WATER WOULD RECEIVE LITERALLY MILLIONS OF POUNDS AS A SUBSIDY FOR THIS PROJECT. IT IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY LARGE 'CARROT’ AND IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO THE 'UNINITIATED' THAT THE PLAIN ANSWER IS MONEY! LOTS OF IT! .