East Suffolk Council
Council calls for assurance on energy infrastructure projects
East Suffolk Council has strengthened its commitment to ensuring the best possible outcomes and minimal impact for local communities from the construction of Sizewell C.
The renewed pledge comes with an expectation of developers, in conjunction with all stakeholders, to identify long-term solutions to a number of key issues.
It comes in response to a motion brought to Full Council on Wednesday 27 September by Councillor Tom Daly, cabinet member for Energy and Climate Change, and seconded by Councillor Sarah Whitelock, ward member for Aldeburgh and Leiston, called for a resolution to strongly represent East Suffolk communities to maximise the benefits and minimise the impacts of development.
The motion formalised the Council’s position in advocating for true green renewable energy in preference to Sizewell C but recognised the reality of the Development Consent Order (DCO) decision.
Cllr Daly added that development should only commence following identification of long-term solutions by Sizewell C Ltd to issues concerning water supply, sea defences and coastal dynamics, long term local storage of highly radioactive spent fuel, marine biosphere impacts, and satisfactory confirmation of the size of the development site with associated impacts on Minsmere and other precious habitats.
The motion further proposed a written request for the Secretary of State to sanction a full cost-benefit analysis of options for connecting all electricity generation to users in the UK, rather than the current piecemeal approach, and to mandate a community compensation scheme for those directly impacted by hosting the energy infrastructure, as a matter of urgency, as per recent consultation, in addition to provisions in the DCO process.
The two-part motion also sought the Council’s acknowledgement that, alongside better design and reduced energy consumption, the future of carbon reduction lies in truly renewable energy, such as offshore and onshore wind, solar, community energy schemes and micro generation, with options for offshore to brownfield connections justifying further exploration as a means of providing a cost effective and sustainable solution to the UK's energy supply and security challenges.
It called on the Council to formalise its belief that “offshore options for connecting offshore renewables into an existing brownfield location have not been sufficiently investigated and provide a better long-term more cost effective and sustainable solution to the UK's energy supply and security challenges”.
Addressing Full Council, Cllr Daly said:
“These issues are extremely important to our communities.
“This Council requires greater surety on these issues now, not sometime in the future, when the actual nuclear elements are due to be installed, licences issued, and options much diminished. The risks are too great.
“We cannot claim to be able to resolve these issues. We can, though, as a Council, add our voice to the growing demands for a more rational, planned, properly costed future for our energy coast – and so for the country as a whole.
“East Suffolk will not be silent on the interests of our residents, on the environment, on the local economy, and on our future.”