MEDIA RELEASE: 13 December 2023
GREENS CALL FOR URGENT ACTION ON ROADS NEAR SIZEWELL C SITE
The Green Party’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Julian Cusack today called on Suffolk County Council and EDF to ‘get a grip’ on road and traffic conditions near the proposed Sizewell C site amid persistent rumours that the Government will ‘green light’ construction in January.
Julian Cusack said, “During the early years of SZC construction, the existing road infrastructure will need to take considerably more traffic than ever before. It is now imperative that Suffolk County Council and the Police Authority, funded by EDF, implement integrated traffic management plans to mitigate the impact on local residents and road users.”
Julian Cusack continued, “Incident management is a particular concern in the area. Yesterday, for example, there was significant flooding on the A12 at Yoxford, as well as at multiple locations around Kelsale and Leiston, which caused chaos. Fordley Road was blocked by vehicles ‘rat running’ to avoid the flooding and there was a broken down van at the junction of Hawthorn Road and the B1122. Situations like this can only be exacerbated by additional construction vehicles.
Furthermore, site traffic is already disrupting and risking the lives of those who live nearby. Only this morning, local residents at Middleton Moor on the B1122 observed two Sizewell bound tipper lorries slamming on their brakes before clocking 39mph on a Speed Indicator Device in a 30mph speed limit.”
Julian Cusack went on to say, “Nearly six months ago, eight local parishes wrote to Suffolk County Council and SZC proposing additional measures to protect their communities, including better enforcement of speed limits, investment in highways and pedestrian footpaths and incident management plans. So far we have not seen any action.”
Julian Cusack concluded, “This is now becoming urgent. We need to know that comprehensive measures will be implemented as soon as possible to protect all residents and road users.”
Notes for editors
Julian Cusack lives in the Constituency near Saxmundham and is Chair of Middleton Parish Council. He is a Chartered Accountant and works in the insurance sector. He has also recently started up a regenerative farming business near Kelsale. He was a member of Suffolk County Council for 8 years in the 1980s and is now Chair of Suffolk Coastal Green Party.
He is the Prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Suffolk Coastal Constituency.
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Text of the 8 Parishes letter, dated 12/7/23
Dear Sirs,
Despite the mitigation measures in the DCO and in the Deed of Obligation, the undersigned Parish Councils all share substantial concerns about the impact on their communities of the Sizewell C project and propose further measures to help alleviate them.
This letter relates to issues arising during the Early Years of the project before the Sizewell Link Road is operational. This is a key risk period when the existing road infrastructure – not just the B1122 – is being asked to take considerably more traffic than it ever has before, bringing significant new safety hazards to residents.
We set out our concerns under the following headings: speed limits, emissions, pedestrian footpaths, highway maintenance and incident management. While examples are given in the Schedules below, this letter is not a substitute for individual Parish Councils’ detailed feedback to the proposed Early Years plans.
Speed limits
We call for a significant extension to the routes covered or proposed to be covered by speed limits. Routes for which we request speed limits are set out in Schedule 1.
We also call for a significant commitment to the active enforcement of existing and new speed limits, especially during the Early Years, and covering the 24/7 timings of SZC shift patterns. We call upon EDF to make funds available to the Police Authority for this purpose.
HGV and bus emissions
We call upon EDF to require their HGV and bus contractors to only use vehicles that comply with Euro VI NOx and PM emissions standards, which are those mandated for the London-wide Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Clean Air Zones in seven UK other cities.
Pedestrian footways
We support proposals for the provision of additional new footways along stretches of the B1122 and B1125 where these can be accommodated within existing highway boundaries.
In addition, we request that, where Parish Councils are able to secure the agreement of relevant landowners, EDF support with design, administrative resources and funding the establishment of permissive footpaths to provide further safe routes for pedestrians.
We further request that funds be made available for the maintenance of all existing and new footpaths in good condition.
Cycle routes
We call upon EDF and SCC to create safe cycle routes between the A12 and the coast to compensate for loss of safe cycling on the B1122, B1125 and surrounding minor roads due to SZC traffic. These would be additional to those currently planned.
Highways maintenance
We note that there are certain locations on the B1122 and the B1125 which regularly suffer from surface flooding (See Schedule 2).
We request that works be undertaken to permanently improve drainage at these locations.
Incident management
We note that under current operating conditions there are occasions when blockages on the A12 result in traffic diverting along unclassified roads. The roads we believe that are most affected include those set out in Schedule 3.
We are concerned that the frequency and severity of these incidents will increase if and when the Sizewell C project gets underway.
We call upon Suffolk County Council and the Police Authority, funded by EDF, to develop and consult on contingency traffic management plans that can be put in place immediately to limit the likelihood and severity of congestion causing disruption and risks to residents living along these routes, and for these plans to be actively enforced.
By way of illustration of these concerns please see the Case Study set out in Schedule 4.
Community liaison
We invite representatives of EDF and the Councils to attend the next meeting of the Joint Parish Councils named below to discuss the contents of this letter.
We further call upon EDF to reconstitute the Community Forum.
Yours faithfully
Blythburgh Parish Council
Darsham Parish Council
Kelsale-cum-Carlton Parish Council
Middleton-cum-Fordley Parish Council
Theberton & Eastbridge Parish Council
Walberswick Parish Council
Westleton Parish Council
Yoxford Parish Council