From: John Fuller <john@johnfuller.org.uk>
Date: Thursday, 16 June 2022 at 10:40
To: Amanda McMurray <amanda.mcmurray@bressinghamandfersfield.org>
Cc: James Easter <easter255@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: OBJECTION to East Anglia Green Energy Enablement proposal – Bressingham and Fersfield Parish Council
Hello Amanda
I arranged for this matter to be discussed as an urgent item at our scheduled Cabinet meeting On Monday. In advance I had contacted a number of objectors and gave them the opportunity to make some valuable contributions to the debate. These will be captured and incorporated into the Council’s response to the preliminary consultation.
It was explained to us by officials that the ‘consultation’ process so far carries little weight. I would characterise it as a smoking-out process. Its aim to ask local people what they think of the proposals has certainly succeeded. But not in the way that they anticipated!
We have been able to draw attention to the lack of meaningful consultation, not the detailed consideration of all the issues that should have been taken into account at the earliest stage. There seems to be scant attention given to landscape, heritage or natural assets. There has been no obvious consideration of alternative options. The economic impacts on Bressingham and Tibenham Airfield are completely absent. And nobody has given a thought for Diss which will be surrounded on all sides.
Given the scant detail there is no alternative but to object against what is before us. There will be a Public Enquiry where all the issues will be aired and we will ensure that all the things that you have raised and those who have raised concerns alongside you will be heard.
National Grid spurned our advice and offers to put them in touch with interested parties and organisations. Sadly their afternoon consultation in Mulbarton Village Hall was wholly inadequate. We will hold them to account.
The key next step will be the public enquiry. We have all identified the key issues that need to be addressed at that point, one of which will be consideration of offshore. It’s clearly our preferred option. However, I don’t think it would be wise to focus ENTIRELY on that one to the exclusion of all other matters in case it becomes technically infeasible and then we end up with the plan that’s before us unaltered.
I am grateful to you for contacting me and we shall shortly be publishing our response to the issue and which we will publicise on 16th June.
John
Councillor John Fuller OBE
Leader of South Norfolk District Council. Member for Brooke Ward
The Old Hall Coach House The Street Brooke Norwich Norfolk NR15 1LB
Phone +44 1508 558280 John's Mobile +44 7500 662255
john@johnfuller.org.uk www.johnfuller.org.uk
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:
1. affect the amenity of nearby residents or
2. 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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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
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Amanda McMurray PhD MBA MIoD IMC
Bressingham and Fersfield Parish Councillor
Email: amanda.mcmurray@bressinghamandfersfield.org
Tel: +44 7774 830422
