Representation by Emma Hodson
- Date submitted
- 18 July 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
My main concerns relate to: 1) the destruction of green belt land and severe negative impact on sites of special scientific interest at Qui Fen and Wicken Fen, along with the ancient footpaths that connect these areas are an incredibly valuable leisure resource for many people in the wider region. 2) The environmental impact (eg carbon footprint/ energy cost) of relocating an existing sewage works about a mild from its current site, and the cost of decommissioning the current site. I also understand that the new site is on an aquifer which is totally unsuited to these sort of works. 3) the financial cost of these works to the tax payer, which I understand to be in excess of £250 million (at original estimates - now likely to be higher). This is at a time of national financial crisis when we cannot afford to pay public sector workers, we are crippled by strike action across all services and many people cannot afford to put food on the table. It seems criminal to use public money for this project, when the profits will only be accrued by private companies (Anglian water and the housing developers). In addition to these wider concerns, I have serious concerns about more local issues. 1) Disruption to roads and footpaths around Horningsea and Fen Ditton, including a large volume of heavy goods traffic during the building phase, followed by long term industrial traffic serving the sewage works. The roads in this area are already over congested and the villages have suffered considerable damage to person and property from high speed/ high energy accidents (eg vehicles crashing into buildings and walls). Without significant changes to the local road infrastructure (eg a new direct access off the A14 circumventing the need to involve the Horningsea road) this venture is dangerous and non-viable. 2) The specific impact on Fen Ditton primary school. The increase in heavy traffic on the Horningsea road will pose a significant risk to Horningsea residents cycling to school and to work, both from the accident risk and the chronic pollution/ reduction in air quality. There have been a number of high profile cases directly linking such pollution to increased risk of death from asthma (Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah) and this project would needlessly put local children in this risk bracket. Finally, as a local doctor myself I spend a lot of time trying to encourage people to take more outdoor exercise for their own health. I am devastated that you could use public money to cause such irreversible vandalism and loss of wide areas of public footways and recreation land, all for the profit of a few. Please use this money for public health projects to improve access to such resources, don't destroy them.