For Immediate Release, 23 November 2016

Campaigners slam EDF for ignoring local concerns about Sizewell C proposals and for failing to provide vital information

Missed opportunity for creative solutions to accommodation and transport misery, prolonging anxiety about environmental and community impacts

[SUFFOLK] Campaigners in east Suffolk today expressed profound dismay that, after almost four years, EDF’s proposals for Sizewell C remain largely unchanged, with a campus for 2,400 workers at Eastbridge, no consideration of a relief road, and major gaps in the information provided. EDF’s ‘Stage 2’ consultation documents, published today, ignore local concerns about the impacts of worker accommodation and construction traffic on the environment and neighbouring communities in the front line of the largest infrastructure project the east of England has ever seen.

Su Swallow, Co Chair of Theberton and Eastbridge Action on Sizewell (TEAGS) said “We’re not opposed to Sizewell C and welcome the benefits it would bring, but EDF’s Stage 2 proposals show that the company simply hasn’t listened to our concerns about how this massive project will be delivered, and is mainly focused on doing things as cheaply as possible. It’s devastating that EDF is insisting on building a new town for two and a half thousand workers at Eastbridge, which we believe will exacerbate the threats to Minsmere, a national treasure.”

Alison Downes, TEAGS Co Chair added: “These consultation documents are notable for what is missing: options from Stage 1 have disappeared leading us to question whether this is genuine consultation. There is a lack of clear evidence and rationale for their proposals and critical information about environmental and community impact, coastal processes, noise, water and flood risk is simply not available. What has EDF been doing for the last four years since Stage 1? They have kicked the can down the road on providing answers about these vital issues, making it very difficult for the public to respond.”

Since 2012 local campaigners have met EDF senior executives a number of times to help EDF be a good neighbour, and persuade the company to alter its proposals, including changing its plans to build accommodation for thousands of workers so close to Minsmere, where at Hinkley Point C, EDF will spread worker accommodation over several smaller sites. [2] Opposition to the Eastbridge campus is supported by local MP Dr Therese Coffey. [3]

Another major concern is EDF’s insistence that the B1122 – a narrow, winding country road – is suitable for construction and worker traffic. EDF’s own estimates predict up to 1,300 lorry and bus movements on the B1122 at peak, a 542% increase on current traffic, and a staggering 722% increase for Yoxford. [4] Suffolk County Council revealed in July that traffic on the B1122 was “the number one” concern for the community, with residents feeling that EDF had not yet provided any satisfactory solutions. [5]

Charles Macdowell of the B1122 Action Group said: “EDF’s Stage 2 proposals do nothing to alleviate our concerns about transport. Despite the long time since Stage 1, all EDF can come up with is some minor tinkering with the B1122. Our own studies [6] show that a dedicated new road for Sizewell C would prevent 12 years of traffic chaos on the B1122, A12 and surrounding area. On both transport and accommodation, EDF has wasted the last four years and has missed a valuable opportunity for some creative solutions that would bring a lasting positive legacy to the area, whilst reducing the harm to the environment and local people in the path of Sizewell C.“

TEAGS, the B1122 Action Group and Minsmere Levels Stakeholder Group are running a series of alternative exhibitions during EDF’s Stage 2 consultations, to help raise awareness of how the Sizewell C proposals will affect nearby communities. Members of the public are warmly invited to visit our exhibition entitled “A Better Route to Sizewell C” before making their responses to EDF. [7]

Su Swallow said: “While today’s news is very disheartening we are committed to continuing to campaign to protect this magical and special place. With the many challenges EDF is encountering with its other new builds, we believe it will be some considerable time before Sizewell C is constructed, so we will continue to press EDF to get its proposals right.”

Notes
[1] Theberton & Eastbridge Action Group on Sizewell was formed in 2013 to represent the concerns of its residents about EDF’s accommodation and transport plans. It has the full support of the Parish Council. www.stopsizewellc.org. The B1122 Action Group was formed in 2013 to press EDF for a dedicated road from the A12 to the Sizewell C construction site. http://sizewellrelief.weebly.com. The Minsmere Levels Stakeholder Group monitors the management of the water catchment area of the Minsmere River, Leiston Beck and Leiston Drain, its subsequent discharge through the Minsmere Sluice to the sea, as well as the state of coastal erosion across the Minsmere Haven area. http://minsmerelevelsstakeholdersgroup.onesuffolk.net
[2] In Somerset, worker accommodation will comprise 500 immediately adjacent to the build site, the remaining 1,000 on two sites in Bridgwater, population 50,000, with the potential for some legacy student accommodation. In Suffolk, up to 3,000 workers will be housed on green fields around 2-3 miles from the build site, and a very long way from suitable infrastructure and entertainment for workers off-shift.
[3] See letter to constituents, March 2015. https://www.dropbox.com/s/bh59xeneruu5osm/CoffeyLetterMarch2015.pdf
[4] EDF Stage 2 detailed Consultation Document, page 87.
[5] County Councillor Guy McGregor said: “We needed to hear what concerns local people have about the development. This report has given voice to such concerns and EDF need to listen and act upon this….. We will use this information to ask EDF Energy to take direct measures to address the widespread worries of the local community.” http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/traffic_analysis_raises_serious_concerns_over_sizewell_c_1_4618024
[6] See https://stopsizewellc.org/transport/
[7] Exhibitions will be held at (see also www.stopsizewellc.org/exhibition)
Theberton & Eastbridge, Friday 25 November, 2 – 8pm. Venue: St Peter’s Church, Theberton.
Leiston, Saturday 26 November, 10am – 4pm. Venue: Quaker Meeting House, Waterloo Avenue.
Westleton, Tuesday 29 November from 4 – 8pm. Venue: St Peter’s Church, Westleton.
Aldeburgh, Wednesday 30 November from 12 – 6pm. Venue: Aldeburgh Parish Church Hall.
Saxmundham, Friday 2 December from 11am – 3pm. Venue: St John The Baptist, Saxmundham.
Blythburgh, Wednesday 7 December from 11am – 3pm. Venue: The White Hart Inn.
Darsham, Thursday 8 December, from 2 – 6pm. Venue: Village Hall, The Street.
Middleton, Wednesday 14 December from 11am – 3pm. Venue: The Bell Inn.
Yoxford, Monday 19 December from 2 – 8pm. Venue: Village Hall, Yoxford.

Plans for Sizewell power station move a step closer

09 November 2016, by Andrew Hirst. Read on EADT site

EDF Energy said stage two of its consultation on Sizewell C will begin on Wednesday, November 23, when people will be invited to have their say on the plans.

The long-awaited consultation, which comes four years after stage one, will cover options for the construction of the power station as well as associated development including an accommodation campus and transport improvements.

Councils and politicians have welcomed the announcement in recognition of the economic benefits of the £16 billion project, which is expected to provide power for five million homes, creating 5,500 jobs during construction and sustaining 900 when operational.

But after EDF’s last consultation was criticised for lacking detail and presenting unpopular options, the company has been urged to take a different approach.

The Theberton and Eastbridge Action Group on Sizewell (TEAG) is calling on EDF to consider “creative solutions” to provide a “lasting legacy”. Members of the four villages bypass campaign group, which wants EDF to contribute towards an alternative A12 route, also said they were seeking a “long-term legacy”.

The consultation, which runs until February 3, will feature more than 20 public exhibitions across east Suffolk. It has faced delays due to uncertainties over Sizewell C’s sister project, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, which only received Government backing in September.

The Christmas timing of the consultation, however, has faced criticism. Roy Dowding, chairman of the B1122 Action Group, said EDF was “heavily criticised” for holding stage one of the consultation over the festive period, but “they do not care”.

Nigel Smith, chairman of Middleton-cum-Fordley Parish Council, said EDF’s consultation so far had been “a complete joke”, which had failed to consider local views. Together Against Sizewell C (TASC), a campaign group which formed in opposition to the new power station, said the timing was “very unfortunate”.

EDF said it aspired to the “highest standards of public consultation” and all its public exhibitions ran between November 23 and December 15, with extra time built in to account for the Christmas period. It added that stage one of its consultation engaged with more than 4,000 people at 100-plus events.

The company said feedback from the first consultation had been used to develop “preferred positions” on some of the key elements of the proposals, while others remain as options.

TASC, said it was keen to see the progress made. “The many areas of concern, which were flagged up at the woefully inadequate first stage consultation must be seen to be addressed by EDF,” said TASC member Joan Girling. She said TASC wanted the consultation to include the impact on the local Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Simon Amstutz, AONB manager, said it expected the points raised in stage one would be addressed by EDF.

“We expect to see proposals on how EDF will protect the vital tourism economy on the Suffolk coast that supports many businesses and jobs,” he added.

TEAG is also calling on EDF to provide reassurances that “adequate measures will be put in place to preserve the special qualities of this area” and its tourism industry.

Guy McGregor, chairman of Sizewell C Joint Local Authorities Group, said the announcement was “good news” after years of uncertainty.

“Finally, the people most affected by the proposed Sizewell C development will have the opportunity to study and comment on how EDF will manage this massive construction project and how they have responded to the views received from stage one of their consultation,” he added.

Leiston Parish Council said it welcomed the opportunity to take part in the consultation.

Geoff Holdcroft, chairman of Suffolk Coastal District Council’s Sizewell C task group, said: “The construction and operation of this nuclear power station will bring a massive boost to the economy of east Suffolk, but we need to make sure we get it right for our local communities.”

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey said it was “great news” the consultation had been announced.

“It is important that the opinion of residents is conveyed to EDF and that we maximise the opportunity to improve local infrastructure,” she added.

Jim Crawford, Sizewell C project development director, said: “We have introduced this further stage of formal public consultation to give the public an opportunity to see how our plans have developed and to help us shape them further before a final stage of consultation.

“We understand it has been some time since we published our initial proposals for feedback, so I would like to encourage people to look through the latest plans for Sizewell C, to visit one of the exhibitions and to take the opportunity to have their say in the development of the project.”

Transport proposals have faced strong opposition

Transport options outlined in stage one of EDF’s Sizewell C consultation provoked some of the greatest opposition among potentially affected communities.

The company has been considering a variety of options to get workers and materials to the construction site via rail, sea and road, which could involve the creation of two park and ride facilities at short-listed locations.

People living near the B1122, which EDF identified as its preferred road route to the site, have raised concerns with its suitability.

Roy Dowding, chairman of the B1122 Action Group, said recent “chaos” along the road showed it was “not fit for the purpose of regular, intense heavy road traffic” and called for a new direct route leaving the A12 from further south.

The Theberton and Eastbridge Action Group on Sizewell also said the B1122 was unsuitable and criticised the lack of information on the possible use of rail and sea for deliveries.

Members of the four villages bypass campaign group, who want EDF to contribute towards a new A12 route avoiding Marlesford, Little Glemham, Stratford St Andrew and Farnham, say recent travel problems in the area have only reinforced their views.

Debbi Tayler, of the group, said a series of “abnormal loads”, which passed through the villages transporting materials towards the coast for offshore wind farms, showed the road could not cope with large construction vehicles.

“It’s as bad as it has ever been and will only get worse,” she said.

“It’s totally unacceptable.”

Mrs Tayler says other options raised in discussions with EDF, including widening the road at Farnham and creating a two village bypass, were also unsuitable. She has called for the company to provide more information from its traffic surveys.

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP Dan Poulter raised the importance of the bypass in Parliament yesterday.

He said: “Historically we have seen a reluctance from EDF to engage with the need for significant improvements to both road and rail infrastructure in east Suffolk, and much more needs to be done to identify priorities for EDF’s contribution to important road improvements on the A12.”

EDF has presented several options for two park and ride facilities near the A12 to ferry workers to and from the construction site from the north and south. Earlier this week, the company confirmed that its plans for a site on the edge of Wickham Market and Hacheston would no longer be a “lorry park”, though the park and ride proposals still stood. The preferred location for the northern park and ride is Darsham. Both options have provoked opposition.

Leonora Van Gils, an interfaith minister whose Darsham home overlooks a site earmarked for a park and ride, said uncertainty over the decision had left her “a prisoner in my own home”, which she could not sell because of the proposals.

Accommodation campus to house 3,000 workers

Campaigners have called on EDF to take an “imaginative approach” to accommodate workers involved in the construction of Sizewell C.

The company has previously said its preferred option for an “accommodation campus”, which would house around 3,000 workers, was area between Leiston, Theberton and Eastbridge.

“TEAGS continues to call on EDF to take a more imaginative approach, and split the accommodation across multiple urban sites that can offer the necessary infrastructure and would benefit from the investment, and where affordable housing could be a long-term legacy,” the group said. “This would be closer to the plan for Hinkley Point C, and would also protect the special nature of this rural area, which attracts many visitors for the peace, the wildlife and the coast.”

There have been previous calls for the accommodation to become “legacy housing” to help solve the region’s shortage of new homes, particularly social housing.