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Save Our Sandlings Save Our Sandlings ScottishPower Renewables Stage 4 Consultation Some Document links to help with responses to the Stage 4 Consultation This document is written to help supporters formulate their responses to ScottishPower renewables stage 4 consultation. Responses must be received by midnight 26th March 2019 to be accepted. Responses must be in your own words, not cut and paste to be effective. Whilst not definitive, the areas of most concern are noted. Send responses to either [email protected] or [email protected] with subject heading “Response to EA1N and EA2 stage 4 consultation Main areas of concern. Traffic Footpaths Key to Roads Environment Community A1094: The Aldeburgh Road from A12 to Aldeburgh Cliffs Tourism A1069: From Snape to Aldeburgh Road and From Aldeburgh Road to Knodishall/Leiston Traffic B1122: From Yoxford to Aldeburgh via Leiston SPR project due to start 2024. Sizewell C will have started B1353: From Aldringham to Thorpeness construction by this date. EdF indicating 1500 vehicles/day along the B1122/Lovers Lane/Sizewell Gap Road until new roads and Lovers Lane/Sizewell Gap Road: From B1122 North of Leiston to Sizewell bypasses constructed. EdF pressure will then reduce on the Lovers Lane/Sizewell Gap Road section, but remain on parts of B1122 B1122/Lovers Lane/Sizewell Gap Road will see an increase of 300 vehicles per day at peak times a. Safety issue at Household Recycling site. Parked vehicles in road when site closed for container movements and when no available spaces for unloading. Site entrance less than 200 m and unsighted of brow of hill for vehicles travelling North towards the B1122 b. Lovers Lane/Sizewell Gap Road currently subject to National Speed limit. This requires a reduction to 30mph for the duration of the project and consideration as a permanent solution for the whole length of this road from the B1122 to Sizewell village. Also to consider vehicle activated speed warning signs to reinforce the reduced speed limit. c. Further signage warning of turning vehicles in/out of properties, especially at Halfway Houses. A1094/B1122/B1353 unsuitable route for large articulated vehicles A number of junctions along this route that will cause disruption for travellers on this road, namely:- A1094 will see an increase of 140 vehicles a day. a. Issues with local traffic merging onto A1094 from B1069 junction at Church Common, Snape. A1094/B1069 Blackheath Corner. a. Main route out of Leiston and Knodishall to Snape and the A12 Southbound. b. Very heavy traffic at peak time. c. A1069 subject to National speed limit. Consider speed and traffic moderation to ease congestion and improve safety. Consider adding warning signage of turning traffic A1094/B1122 Railway Inn roundabout junction at Aldeburgh. Heavily used junction. a. 2 supermarkets with queueing traffic, no filter lanes b. Road surface damage caused by turning of long heavy articulated vehicles. Local roads have not been designed to take constant heavy traffic and sub-surface may prove unsuitable over time for the loads put upon them c. Access along the B1122 from junction impeded by parked vehicles, staggered on both sides of the road. d. There has been no physical test to ensure vehicles can freely access this junction during a normal busy day. All work to date has been a desktop study. B1122/B1353 Junction at Aldringham and through to Thorpeness. a. Similar issue to Aldeburgh roundabout with damage to road surface through constant turning heavy articulated vehicles. b. Road to Thorpeness is narrow. HGVs may struggle to pass one another. c. Main route out of Thorpeness to Leiston/Saxmundham. Delays and inconvenience to local residents d. A tourist destination. Visitors directed along this route avoiding Aldeburgh which will become gridlocked in mid to high season. SPR to consider policing of all routes to ensure compliance with authorised routes to sites and to posted speed limits. There is no doubt severe delays and inconvenience will result from the use of unsuitable roads for heavy HGV movements. Tourism extremely important to area. The many local people relying on employment in the tourist/catering/entertainment industries will keenly feel any loss of revenue through falling visitor number as a result of the area deemed unfavourable or difficult to reach. Footpaths Footpaths used daily 365 days a year by wide range of activities. These include, walking, running, cycling, horse riding, orienteering by large numbers of individuals and groups. Provide access to countryside for enjoyment of bird-watching, and other wildlife recording activities. The Sandlings Walk, a Nationally recognised route runs through the Suffolk Sandlings that used to stretch from the outskirts of Ipswich to Southwold which is an area of lowland heath, Britain's rarest wildlife habitat, and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty follows a number of footpaths affected by this project Disturbance to the ecology and environment in this area would be catastrophic for the indigenous species and blight the enjoyment of the many visitors and local residents who regularly use the paths Environment Suffolk is famed for the wonderful views and vistas of open countryside and heathland. The erection of large industrial buildings will severely blight the views available in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths area. With no large natural geological formations to interrupt views, large industrial buildings and compounds will be extremely visible from great distances. A distressing loss of enjoyment will result for all visitors to the area. The 64 metre wide swathe cut through the countryside is of great concern through disruption to wildlife corridors and foraging routes and adjacent to environmentally sensitive woodland paths, e.g. Fitches Lane/Wood between Knodishall and Aldringham, home to nightingales and glow-worms. A number of rare and/or endangered species. Nightingales breeding in the area. Many species of reptile, undisturbed grass and heathland ideal for their survival. This habitat also vital to resident raptors and birds of prey Nesting European Skylark recovering from declining numbers. ‘Sandlings Heath declined by 80% in last century. Now very rare. Represents 1% of total lowland heath left in the world. This is our rainforest’. Source: British Energy board Leiston Common. Hundred River bisected at Aldringham. Localised flooding following heavy rain. Local properties with personal freshwater wells. Historical contamination, drying out of wells caused by previous industrial development Link to SPR Water Resources & Flood Risk Chapter 20 Glow worms are under threat and one reason might be because of light pollution. In areas with street lights, male glow worms will find it more difficult to find glowing females if it isn’t properly dark. And if it’s too bright some females might not bother to glow at all. Joseph Baker, at the University of Sussex, is looking into the problem source https://ptes.org/grants/internship-projects/glow-worms-street-lights/ Community Disruption caused by: a. Increase in traffic b. Noise. 24 hr working during HDD activities coupled with associated generators and pumps etc..+traffic c. Dust. Light sandy soil blows in moderate to high winds when disturbed d. Vibration e. Light Pollution. No more dark skies f. Loss or reduction in livelihood from reduced visitor numbers, (reduced hours or redundancy) g. Some semi and low skilled jobs during construction. No job prospects when operational as remotely controlled. No added benefit to local communities. Cliffs It has not been established what damage to cliff stability will be caused by drilling activities to the Thorpeness cliffs. Desktop study only performed and review of second party data. Coralline Crag, recognised features of the AONB designation Formed 2.5 to 5.3 million years ago in the Pliocine era of marine and shell deposits. Coralline Crag mainly only found in East Anglia in the Aldeburgh to Orford area. A rare phenomenon in the world of geology. Tourism Many people rely on tourism for their employment. Reducing numbers of visitors keenly felt by all connected to the industry; Employers, Employees, Business in the Supply Chain providing goods and services. Ripple effect will be huge. Quotes re: reason for coming to Heritage Coast from studies of visitor to area:- Peaceful, Quiet, Solitude, Tranquility, Off-Grid, Close to Nature, Wildlife, Accessible Footpaths and Tracks, Good Food Economic disaster for Heritage Coast External Links wardenstrust.org/birds-around-ness-house/ Note: The Wardens Trust provides recreational facilities for people with disabilities, the elderly and their carers on the idyllic wardenstrust.org/flora-and-fauna/ Suffolk Coastline Anglia News report Windfarms and Sizewell C Short video clip about cable trenching and substations Wild About Birds shop notice .
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