Sizewell C&D Construction Site Poster

The plans given during Stage 2 Consultation are reflected in this poster using a reference Ordnance Survey map. The overall construction site will sever in two the Sizewell Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) for at least 10 years and it will take many more years to restore the land to fully functioning new habitat.

Whilst it is proposed to convert some existing agricultural land to Lowland Heath habitat, 5.5 hectares of 10 metre deep peat swamp within Sizewell Marsh SSSI that has developed over a period of 6000+ years and 10 hectares of fen meadow will be lost forever. The long term consequences of unavoidable changes to the hydrology of Sizewell Marsh SSSI will damage the remaining swamp and surrounding areas as current water levels are disturbed. We know that changes to Sizewell Marsh SSSI occurred during Sizewell B construction and that these changes persist to today.

Plans to bury excavated material in quarry pits 260 metres south of Eastbridge or at Wallasea Island remain incomplete due to uncertainties in both the quarry locations and size as well as the viability of removal by sea to Wallasea Island through any jetty or beach landing facility that is constructed at the site.

The impervious nature of the 240 hectare construction site and 50 hectare power station platform will disturb the natural hydrology of the existing AONB, Sizewell Marsh SSSI and Minsmere & Walberswick SSSI sites as captured run-off, following treatment to remove any contamination, will either be allowed to drain through permeable Water Management Zones in very constricted areas or pumped into drainage ditches. The effect of these interventions will disturb the natural hydrology of the area with potential consequences for the both SSSI sites, the AONB and from time to time the effectiveness of the Sizewell Drain and Minsmere Sluice.

EDF Energy is expected to launch their Stage 3 Consultation in early January 2019

and it will last for approximately 12 weeks.

It is vital that EDF receive feedback from all residents and any who are concerned about the impact that this development will have on the sensitive environments that surround the proposed dual power station and its associated construction site.

We will send out a newsletter early on in the consultation, once we have had time to review the Stage 3 Consultation documents and its environmental impact assessments. We are hoping that sufficient information will be provided this time to make a properly considered response to the consultation unlike our experiences during the previous two consultation stages.

If you aren't already on our e-mail contacts list, please sign up at http://minsmerelevelsstakeholdersgroup.onesuffolk.net/subscribe-to-mlsg

We hope the newsletter will assist you in preparing your own response to the consultation.

We continue to work with Theberton and Eastbridge Action Group on Sizewell (TEAGS) www.teags.org and will participate and contribute to their efforts leading up to, during and after the consultation period.