Phase 4 Consultation EA1N + EA2 Windfarm & Substations

All the published consultation documents are available on Scottish Power website:

EA1N – SPR Phase 4 Consultation Official Website
EA2 – SPR Phase 4 Consultation Official Website 

Official Responses (Suffolk Authorities, Parish Councils & Stake Holders)

Suffolk County Council & East Suffolk – EA1N & EA2 Phase 4 Consultation ‘PEIR’ Official Response >>>

Friston Parish Council & SASES – EA1N & EA2 Phase 4 Consultation ‘PEIR’ Official Response >>>

Comment:
It is clear from initial consideration of the mountain of documentation released by Scottish Power for Phase 4, that whilst is it heavy in wording, the research and impact assessments lack substance and depth of credible data sources. Scottish Power have taken an in-exhaustive approach to key aspects, most notably Soci-economics, Tourism, Ecology and Flood Risk. Scottish Power appear to have completely failed to understand the sensitive rural landscape and how it provides a unique coastal, heathland environment, essential to the ecology of the AONB & Sandlings. Worryingly Scottish Power have failed to provide adequate consideration to the ‘Cumulative Impact’ of their proposals in context with other energy projects including Sizewell C, NGV Interconnectors (National Grid Ventures) not just in terms of traffic impacts, but impact on tourism, the ecology of the protected landscape and the impact on communities & people who would be living in and around huge industrial building sites.

The maps and images released in PEID: Chapter 29 ‘Landscape and Visual Impact’show the ‘onshore development’ and ‘cable route’ which cuts a swathe of destruction across the AONB and through the unspoilt rural landscape and through mature woodland between Thorpeness, Aldringham, Knoddisnhall and Coldfair Green en-route to Friston. Scottish Power will weald a corridor of destruction with diggers, trenches, spoil heaps and haul roads running along side the hugely important, nationally renowned ‘Sandlings Walk’. In numerous places Scottish Power will cut across and through the Sandlings Walk. How is this acceptable or achievable without huge disruption and damage to tourism? These proposals represent a real risk that the Sandlings walk and other popular footpaths being re-routed or at worst closed over a 4 to 5 year build.

Proposed Substations at Friston
Specifically regarding Friston and the proposed substation complex, it is now clear from materials released that Scottish Power are intensively squeezing 2 substations plus the obligatory National Grid substation into an area so confined, that effective mitigation is challenging, perhaps impossible. In terms of surrounding property, roads, footpaths, removal of local amenity for villagers and visitors, the proposals will be devastating for Friston residents and neighbouring individual properties dotted around the site. Pursuing with Grove Wood at Friston after such criticism and objection illustrates how this consultation shambles has failed at each stage in the process to listen and act on advice and opinion. Even at Phase 4 public events Scottish Power have continued to use blame culture against the local authorities Suffolk District Council and Suffolk County Council, suggesting …”Friston is only on the table because the local authorities asked us to look to the west for onshore development.”