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Green Party Parliamentary candidate Julian Cusack  attended a protest outside the gates to the Nuclear Power Station at Sizewell in East Suffolk. He and local residents were protesting about today’s government decision to trigger the start of work on the Sizewell C site. This is happening despite the lack of a Final Investment Decision and without the government having secured financing for the project.

Julian Cusack said:

“It would be very unusual in the private sector for work to start on a project before funding was secured. This is being done at the risk of Sizewell C Limited and local residents are understandably upset that significant detriment will be caused to local landscapes and the local road network without certainty that the project will ever be properly funded, let alone finished”.

He added “there is a real risk that costs and timescale for Sizewell C will overrun and turn the project into a white elephant that is never finished and ends up, like phase 2 of HS2, being cancelled down the line.”

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Julian Cusack said “The consultation process is flawed.  National Grid has already decided to bring electricity cables onshore across unspoilt coastline in Suffolk, to dig trenches across areas of outstanding natural beauty and scientific interest, to destroy habitats and farming land and build substations and hubs in rural communities.  The only choice we are being given is the lesser of two evils – do we want to destroy the environment around Aldeburgh and Saxmundham or Southwold and Walberswick?

We urgently need a transparent review of alternatives that will protect our coastal environment and communities.  A realistic and preferable option is to build an offshore grid to take the energy further down the coast and bring it onshore at brownfield sites much closer to where the energy will be consumed.  There is already a precedent for this with the Nautilus project which has an option to take energy onshore at the Isle of Grain.  It is a cheaper, quicker and better solution and is the method already adopted by countries like Belgium and the Netherlands.

The current plans will devastate our coasts, heaths and wetlands and damage our communities and rural economy.  Responses to previous consultations have shown public opinion strongly favours offshore options with brownfield landfalls.   National Grid needs to give a satisfactory explanation as to why these options are not on the table.”

If you wish to write directly to National Grid about the issues above, you can do so by emailing info@lionlink@nationalgrid.com.

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Nigel lives in Saxmundham and was formerly our Election Agent and a member of Saxmundham Town Council

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Green Party councillors in Mid-Suffolk are receiving more and more complaints about grass growing tall and not being cut. To reassure the public and set the story straight, they have published a very short guide to the basics, accompanied by a fuller explanation of meadow management and how it works.

• Roadside verges should be mown by the County Council, as should visibility splays at junctions
• Areas for play should be mown by the Parish, Town or District, whichever is responsible
• Owners are responsible for their dogs irrespective of ground conditions
• Mid Suffolk District Council may delay mowing at a certain time of the year but then do more management of the area at other times – so there is not necessarily any difference in costs or savings
• The heavy rain in the spring caused exceptional growth this year
• Meadow management is a trial to find the most suitable places and the best mowing regimes to benefit wildlife especially insects

Councillor Dr Dan Pratt, an ecologist, said:

“We need to do all we can to reverse the decline in biodiversity, including pollinators and other insects. Flora and fauna are under pressure from intensive agricultural practices, pollution, development and global temperature rise.

“All species need ways to find nearby habitat, stepping-stones and corridors that allow them to roam and reproduce. This will help ensure populations are maintained at sustainable levels.”

Entomologist and fellow councillor, Dr Ross Piper, added:

“Many insect species are in decline, which is a real concern as we depend on them for things like pollination and the recycling of organic material. Many larger animals, from swallows to hedgehogs, depend on them for food. Meadows can be among our richest habitats for insects, supporting three times more species and 25 times more individual insects than a mown lawn.

“Making these spaces as good as possible for insects takes time, but the benefits to nature are significant.

“Meadows are the richest habitat for insects, and even small patches left un-cut during spring can make a big difference.”

Some reflections on the early results of meadow management

There are large areas of Stowmarket where bee and pyramid orchids have appeared amongst the long grass across housing estates, and even private gardens, despite decades of mowing. Now we need to persuade more people to accept that short mown grass isn’t king and we can be equally proud of our wilder areas, together with the wildlife they support, rather than viewing them as a sign of neglect and untidiness.

We would like to extend the area of meadow management and are learning from what’s happened this year how this can be done. The general feeling so far is:

• Don’t go too fast – people need time to adjust and get used to the change
• Get the management right – council grass cutting team also has to adjust to a new approach. Some are better than others (those that spot and leave orchids, for example)
• We need to ensure the right areas are left and that pavement edges and desire line paths are cut from the outset, as this helps ensure people know that the council are still managing areas
• Some areas are more tolerable than others left long. Some look much better than others left long
• Cater for all – people value short grass for play, dog walking (and poo picking), visibility and appearance. A good balance is needed between long and short grass areas
• Meadow management involves cutting and collecting grass once the flower seeds have set; essentially taking off a hay crop. This gradually depletes the level of nutrients in the soil, favouring flowers over grass
• Longer grass keeps the soil cooler and provides a comfortable home for insects and small mammals, as well as sources of nectar and pollen as flowers emerge

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