Parish Council Objection to East Anglia GREEN
From: “Planning (SNC)” <Planning.snc@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk>
Date: Wednesday, 15 June 2022 at 12:00
To: “amanda.mcmurray@bressinghamandfersfield.org” <amanda.mcmurray@bressinghamandfersfield.org>
Subject: RE: OBJECTION to East Anglia Green Energy Enablement proposal – Bressingham and Fersfield Parish Council
Good morning
Thank you for your email in respect of the East Anglia GREEN project.
The Council following its Cabinet meeting on Monday will be responding to National Grid’s non-statutory consultation for its proposed National Significant Infrastructure Project East Anglia GREEN Objecting to the proposed development.
The link to the recording of the Cabinet meeting is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZciRgwo84-iPyRImsTCIng for your information.
The Council’s response will be uploaded to planning application no. 2022/1116 which it has created for openness and to enable it to be viewed in the public domain, once it has been sent to National Grid.
South Norfolk Council is not the determining Authority as the proposal is a National Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) determined by the Secretary of State, at the Cabinet meeting we referred to the 6 stages of the NSIP planning process and I have provided attached the link to the Planning Inspectorates web page for your information.
https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/application-process/the-process/
The Council will not be forwarding the comments you have made and I would suggest if you haven’t already done so, you may wish to send these directly to National Grid as part of the consultation, which closes tomorrow 16 June 2022 emails to EastAngliaGREEN@nationalgrid.com
Kind regards
John
John Oakley
Business Support Officer: Technical
e john.oakley@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
From: Amanda McMurray <amanda.mcmurray@bressinghamandfersfield.org>
Sent: 15 June 2022 10:27
To: John Fuller <John.Fuller@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk>; Claire Curtis <Claire.Curtis@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk>; Tracey.lincoln@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk
Cc: James Easter <James.Easter@southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk>; bandf.pc@outlook.com (External) <bandf.pc@outlook.com>
Subject: OBJECTION to East Anglia Green Energy Enablement proposal – Bressingham and Fersfield Parish Council
Dear Councillor Fuller,
I write as Chair of Bressingham and Fersfield Parish Council, representing the views of our Parishioners and on behalf of my fellow Councillors.
We oppose the East Anglia “Green” Energy Enablement proposal, proposing construction of overhead transmission line from Dunston to Tilbury and passing through our Parish.
We urge South Norfolk District Council to oppose the scheme and to take action to ensure that it does not proceed, reflecting the views, not only of our Parishioners, but of a large proportion of your South Norfolk residents.
There is clear strategic alignment and public interest in your objecting to this proposal on the grounds of its significant negative impact on quality of life and the irreversible damage that it will cause to our environment:
- It is contrary to policies DM3.8 and DM4.5 of the Local Plan, in that its construction would damage the landscape, destroy views across farmland and open countryside and will be detrimental to its character through the erosion of its open nature.
- It is contrary to Planning Enforcement Strategy which states that development should not:
- affect the amenity of nearby residents or
- cause serious and irreversible harm to the environment.
Our Parishioners have told us, variously, of their alarm, bewilderment and outright rage at the proposal.
They have also told us of their wholehearted opposition to the irreversible damage that will undoubtedly occur, both during and after construction, if the proposed construction were allowed to proceed, including:
- Destruction of Amenity: The proposal – a desk-based exercise – states specifically that the choice of infrastructure and selection of a “preferred” route are cheapest and the fastest to build.
It makes no consideration of the practicalities of construction or of maintenance requirements in our region and no account whatsoever of environmental, economic or “human” factors, beyond identifying where population density might be lower.
The line of 50m high lattice steel pylons would run alongside an important SSSI situated within the designated Special Landscapes Area across the Waveney Valley at Bressingham, resulting in loss of habitats, long-term damage to fields and meadows,
The line of 50m high steel pylons will carve through our landscape, breach our open skies and damage the quality of life of people that live near its route or enjoy visiting it.
- Damage the local economy through loss of local businesses and tourism: Blooms of Bressingham’s railway and world-famous garden will be crossed by the proposed power line, the development is expected to destroy their weddings and events services. Local farmers’ operations are affected through South Norfolk.
- Damage to the Environment
CO2 Emissions
National Grid defines green energy as coming from natural sources https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-is-green-energy .
East Anglia Green’s claim of being a green energy proposal focuses on the relatively low carbon dioxide emissions coming from wind power generation (compared to fossil fuel generation). However, it does not consider mitigation of leakage that is inherent from electricity distribution networks, nor does it consider the embodied CO2 of raw materials within the network infrastructure, or the CO2 emissions generated from the construction and maintenance processes.
- Damage to Local Infrastructure:
Local infrastructure around the proposed construction area in our Parish consists mainly of rural single-track lanes, used by local people and businesses and also frequented by walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.
They are unsuitable for heavy goods vehicles and plant; any such use would cause significant damage and would put other road users at risk of accident and injury.
Yours sincerely,
Amanda McMurray