This Saturday (27th March) a small Mid Norfolk village will stage a mass rally against the siting of one of the largest onshore electricity power transfer stations in Europe next door.
The Little Dunham Action Group, a community coalition formed to oppose the plans, have invited George Freeman, founder of The Norfolk Way campaign for more local control over development in Norfolk, to address their rally on Saturday.
The development is being proposed by development speculator Warwick Energy and will involve a huge 43 acre development, with 50ft high buildings, and 48,000 traffic movements, just 170metres from the picturesque Breckland village.
Commenting on the proposed development George Freeman said: “The scale of the proposed development is out of keeping with the Lt Dunham site. This is no ordinary ‘sub-station’. Warwick Energy are proposing to build a facility larger than two Wembley Stadiums. To place it on high ground, 170metres from a village, when you’ve got a huge area to choose from looks like a lazy, lowest cost proposal with little sensitivity to the area or community. There must be alternative sites with less impact, and if they cost a little more and eat into the developer’s profits, so be it.
“I hope and trust Breckland DC Planning Control will insist this is looked at again.
“This is a perfect example of why we need a planning system which starts with a vision for Norfolk. People are rightly fed up with proposed developments like this which appear out of the blue, with little or no sensitivity to the local community, in order to suit some Whitehall target or make a quick buck for a developer, with little compensation or benefit for the local community. Our infrastructure is too important to be planned this way.”
Keith Simpson MP and George Freeman recently met with the developers in the House of Commons, and have subsequently received briefing packs from the developers. Mr. Simpson has subsequently confirmed that he is yet to be convinced by the case. George Freeman said:
“Warwick Energy is a business specializing in preparing these sorts of bids professionally – making it almost impossible for a village of volunteers to compete with the money that has obviously been spent on the application.
“The Lt Dunham Campaign has set out some very detailed and sensible concerns and all we can do is hope that Breckland Council will do their job thoroughly and take the local objections seriously.”
The rally will be on Saturday 27th March at 1.30pm on the village recreation ground. It is open to all and more details can be found at www.little-dunham.co.uk.
