Representation by Gemma Phillips
- Date submitted
- 19 July 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
• I am objecting to the proposal to relocate the sewage works to Honey Hill. • Living on the Farm we will be directly impacted by the sewage works relocating. • Building on Green Belt is contrary to national and local planning policy. It is there to protect the setting of our historic city and prevent urban sprawl. • The pipeline to Waterbeach will cut across our arable field, impacting our ability to farm effectively, as our family has done for over the past 70 years. • This will impact on the Conservation areas of Fen Ditton and Horningsea. We have set aside a field for several years, and the wildlife habitat as a result has increased, as has the insect population. To cut this down will destroy their habitat. • The construction and operational traffic between Horningsea and Fen Ditton Primary School will be damaging for the local community and the young children in particular. The area already struggles with the congestion every day. • Replacing a fully functioning sewage works, that is in need of updating rather than relocating, without good reason seems like a bad decision. There will also be the associated carbon cost of a cement heavy construction. We need to protect the environment and wildlife at a time where we have a climate crisis, not add to the issues. • The relocation causes a possible threat to a Principle Chalk Aquifer, which according to DEFRA is at high risk of groundwater contamination (some residents of Horningsea still draw their water from wells). Hence there is a risk of groundwater contamination at Honey Hill. • Honey Hill should have been discounted as an option right from the start because of the Principal Chalk Aquifer which makes it unsuitable for sinking the structures necessary for infrastructure of this kind, which would have been far more appropriate for a flat, fenland setting • This will also create a loss of a recreational area, which is important for the mental health and well-being of the community, as many are still suffering the impact Covid had. • There will be an impact on the approach to the historic city of Cambridge from the East. • Industrialisation north of the A14 • It will create a loss of agricultural farmland, which is helping to feed us in this time of food insecurity. • There will be an impact on public rights of way and permissive ways • It will impact Quy Fen – a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which is very close to Honey Hill. • The vision for Wicken Fen will be destroyed. • There will also be an impact on the Cambridgeshire Dykes. • Construction traffic for the Waterbeach pipeline will cause issues for all of the community. • Having permanent access rights to our driveway will significantly impede the lifestyle we have, especially for our two young children, who are currently safe to play without concern of traffic outside the front of their home. Having HGV’s passing by will put them at direct risk. Whilst the investigations took place on our farm, many HGV’s went past our home and we had to lock the children in, to keep them from being ran over. It will be horrendous for the children as this will completely change their current way of life and feeling of safety. Their ability to play freely will be taken away and their home will become a construction site for at least 3 years. • There will be noise pollution, impacting our ability to sleep. • There will be light pollution, again impacting the community and wildlife. • There will also be pollution due to the additional estimated 280 HGVs per day (and the estimated increase in traffic by 453 vehicles to undertake the necessary work). • The odour will have a huge impact on us, as well as the school, residences, and businesses. • Change of landscape from flat fenland to intrusive industrial buildings. • It could impact on the approach to listed buildings • The impact on the wildlife and biodiversity will be catastrophic and unforgiveable. We should be protecting the green belt, in order to protect the habitat of the wildlife and biodiversity. Being ethical vegans, we do all we can to limit any harm to animals, should this relocation take place, it will be abhorrent for all of us as it will cause direct and ongoing harm to animals. • Where will the deer live when their habitat is ripped up? • There is a lack of consideration given to keeping the plant where it is and making it state of the art and smell proof. • We back onto the river and feed the 9 swans (that regularly visit us daily) and approximately 40 ducks. This disruption to their habitat will impact them negatively. They may not want to nest where they currently do, due to the disruption and disturbance. • There was recently the death of thousands of fish in the river Cam, hence we should be doing all that we can to protect their environment and habitat to prevent further devastation. • No one has contacted us to ask how our employment might be impacted or what our employment is. • If permanent access rights are needed on our driveway, we will no longer be able to park outside our own home, during the investigations, I had to keep moving my car out of the way of the HGVs. This was extremely disruptive. • What are the risks to the community and our children with the shafts being on our fields? • What if odour leaks from the receptors? • Why can’t work be undertaken at the current sewage works site at Milton to update it? • How are the local people, environment, and habitats of so many differing species being considered in all of this? Honey Hill and the surrounding areas (which will be completely disrupted) is their home and this is going to be destroyed, forcing them to move and potentially increase their likelihood of being killed. • Being vegan, biodiversity is of extreme important to us. We will not be able to prevent the destruction to a variety of animal’s habitats. To name but a few of the habitants, we have the fortune of seeing bats, owls, deer, foxes, badgers, otters, water voles, grass snakes, hundreds of insects, and many different birds including goldfinches, woodpeckers, cormorants, herons and migrating egrets who return each year to our meadow near the river. It would be utterly heart breaking to watch their habits die out with the construction and destruction of their homes. • We have also had to cancel our plan to reinstate an orchard on the meadow, due to the possibility of the works taking place exactly at the site where the orchard was going to go. • If the upgrade to the current sewage works could be undertaken this would cause the least damage, destruction and devastation to the animals, wildlife, environment, children, and members of the public local to the proposed site.