All posts by Alison Downes

Over 600 join human wall on Sizewell Beach

 

       19 September 2021, for immediate release   

       Contact: 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Over 600 join human wall on Sizewell Beach to highlight dramatic impact of Sizewell C and show their opposition to the project

 

[SUFFOLK] Over 600 people formed a human wall 800 metres long on Sizewell beach this morning, bearing witness to how EDF’s proposed sea defences for Sizewell C would destroy this much-loved beach and to demonstrate their opposition to the project as a whole. Wearing fluorescent vests, and holding yellow markers on canes to illustrate how high the sea defences would be, protesters came together from across the area, and as far afield as London, to show their opposition to the project. 

 

The event was co-organised by Stop Sizewell C, Together Against Sizewell C and Suffolk Coastal Friends of the Earth and had the support from the likes of Chris Packham, Emma Freud, Bill Turnbull and Anthony Horowitz. [1] High resolution footage and stills will be available shortly. [2]

 

Alison Downes, Stop Sizewell C said: ”We are here today to show how the construction and planned defence of Sizewell C would change this beach beyond recognition. This is one of the first opportunities for us all to come together in large numbers to show our opposition to this damaging project and it’s incredible to see so many people. This is quite simply the wrong place for two new nuclear reactors.”

 

Rachel Fulcher, Suffolk Coastal Friends of the Earth said: “This beach is nationally important because of the rare plants and insects that thrive here, such as Sea Pea, Grayling Butterfly and Brown-banded Carder Bee. The area of vegetated shingle is one of only six such sites in the whole of the UK, yet EDF’s sea defences would bury large swathes of it under rock armour. It’s unconscionable, which is why we have all  come here today to say we must save Sizewell Beach and say no to Sizewell C.”

 

Pete Wilkinson, Together Against Sizewell C said: “This development is not needed.  It represents an unacceptably slow response to the climate emergency, taking 12 years to build and leaving a post-construction carbon debt of millions of tonnes and a devastated environment.  The site is too small, nuclear power leaves a legacy of radioactive waste for future generations to manage, it’s dangerous, pollutes the air and the sea, it’s not green and needs to be consigned to the dustbin.”      

 

The Sizewell C project is reaching a critical stage. The Development Consent Order planning examination has less than a month to run until its statutory deadline, [3] and the nuclear industry is mounting concerted pressure on the government to introduce a new funding model. On Tuesday, Chair of the Nuclear Industry Association, Dr Tim Stone, told a finance conference that the industry needed signals “in weeks”, and that the deathly silence that had followed publication of the 10 Point Plan was “not good enough”. [4]


Campaigners were deeply disappointed that permission to fly a drone during today’s event was refused late last week. The Civil Aviation Authority stated our request was “refused by the Sizewell Nuclear site”. An appeal to Sizewell B for help in revoking this decision resulted in the response: “This risk being managed by the restrictions is access to information about the site that is required to be controlled under our security arrangements.” [5]

 

Alison Downes commented: “The Sizewell site’s refusal for our drone appears punitive, given that we have been granted permission on two previous occasions. If information-gathering was our purpose, there would be no need to go to the trouble and expense of seeking permission to fly a drone, as detailed images are already available on Google Earth.” [6]

 

Notes:

  1. Chris Packham tweeted, urging his followers to come along: https://twitter.com/ChrisGPackham/status/1437505965344141315

Emma Freud: https://twitter.com/emmafreud/status/1438217515746803712?s=20

Anthony Horowitz and Bill Turnbull retweeted.

  1. Footage will be available via wetransfer shortly
  2. The examination closes on 14 October.
  3. Watch The UK Sustainable Infrastructure Policy & Investment Online Virtual Summit, at about 7 hours 20 minutes ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmUbk2XPjUI 
  4. Copy emails are available on request. The Civil Aviation Authority email said “Regarding the request for a R217 Exemption of the Sizewell restricted airspace. This has been refused by the Sizewell Nuclear site and due to the request being refused, the Exemption will not be issued for this activity.” 
  5. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sizewell,+Leiston/@52.2142543,1.6173931,518m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x47da27ca662c1c11:0x101799398b74f91d!8m2!3d52.207955!4d1.621034 

 

EADT – “Critical Issues” to be discussed at Sizewell C hearings

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/sizewell-c-september-2021-hearings-8274260

“Critical issues” with plans for a new nuclear power station on the Suffolk coast – including the impact building work would have on residents – are to be discussed at public hearings.

The Planning Inspectorate is holding a series of Issue Specific Hearings on EDF Energy’s bid to build Sizewell C as part of its formal examination of proposals for a new twin-reactor.

Hearings have been taking place this week, with another four days of hearings scheduled to take place at Snape Maltings in mid-September.

The first day on Tuesday, September 14 will look at flood risk and water supply issues, while the following day will examine the “potential adverse effects on human health and living conditions of local residents during construction”.

The hearings on Thursday, September 16 will look at landscape and heritage issues, including “potential adverse effects on heritage assets forming part of the Heveningham Hall estate and National Trust Coastguard Cottages”.

The code of practice for the construction of the site will be assessed on Friday, September 17.

A spokesman for EDF Energy said: “We are pleased the hearings are going ahead, as they will allow the examining authority to continue to explore all our proposals and enable all interested parties to participate.”

But Paul Collins, chairman of the Stop Sizewell C campaign group, said: “We are well over two-thirds of the way through the Sizewell C examination, which has exposed many serious failings in EDF’s application.

“There are still a  number of critical issues to be heard.

“Whether or not the Planning Inspectorate will agree with our MP’s recommendation that the examination is extended remains to be seen, although we note EDF’s latest financial report is now hinting that a secretary of state decision is due ‘mid-2022’ as opposed to April 2022, which suggests that they at least are expecting this.”

Once the examination process is concluded, an inspector will make a recommendation to government as to whether the nuclear plant should go ahead or not.

Sizewell C had delayed the original submission of the planning application by two months and extended the period of public registration due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This had followed eight years of public consultation to form the proposals for the new power station.

The meetings will be live-streamed and also available to watch afterwards.

To watch the hearings, click here.

EADT – Anger over desalination plant plans

https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/sizewell-desalination-plant-consultation-water-supplies-8238290

Assurance over drinking water supplies as desalination unit planned for Sizewell C

Richard Cornwell. Published: 7:30 AM August 16, 2021    Updated: 8:14 AM August 16, 2021

A temporary desalination plant will have to be installed to provide enough water during the construction of Sizewell C if the £20billion nuclear power plant gets the go-ahead.

Consultation is under way on the plans for the unit, which would take sea water and remove the salt to create drinking quality water, because water companies cannot guarantee supplies.

But opponents of the power project say until the desalination plant is ready it will mean 40 more trucks a day visiting the site to deliver potable water.

Paul Collins, chair of Stop Sizewell C, said: “This latest consultation is yet another example of EDF trying to fit the square peg of Sizewell C into the round hole of East Suffolk.

“It exemplifies how wrong this project is for our area, lacking the necessary infrastructure, and calls into question what other last minute changes and additions EDF will demand as the obstacles of this wrongly-sited project emerge.

“The issue of fresh water supplies has been raised since the start. EDF’s claims that a water desalinisation plant and its diesel generator power supply, plus 40 additional tankers of water a day for the first 9 to 12 months, won’t mean increases in HGVs and CO2 emissions are not credible. And we are gravely concerned its operation would further damage the beach, impact coastal processes and create a toxic environment for local marine life.”

A Sizewell C spokesperson said: “Clean water from a dependable source would be required from the earliest stages of construction of Sizewell C.

“While our planning application includes proposals to access water from a permanent water main, ongoing work with stakeholders throughout this time, including the water companies has indicated that there could now be a risk that the full requirement of potable water in the early years of construction will not be met.

“We are proposing a change to our planning application to include a temporary desalination plant on the main construction site, away from both Sizewell Marshes SSSI and Sizewell beach.

“The proposed temporary desalination plant would provide a reliable, continuous source of water while the permanent water transfer main is completed.

“During the 4-6 months it would take to build the temporary desalination plant, clean water would be delivered to the Sizewell C site by water tanker trucks. This would not increase the overall number of HGVs predicted for the project during the early years of construction.

“The construction and operation of Sizewell C, including this proposed change to our construction Water Supply Strategy, will not impact the local supply of drinking water.

“When things change it is important that we listen and make changes. In that way we work to achieve planning consent for a project that reduces as much of the impacts of construction on local communities as possible.”