Residents of South Cambridgeshire call for NO Anaerobic Digestion

Plant at Streetly Hall Farm.

We, the residents of villages in South Cambridgeshire demand that the proposal

for an industrial plant in open farmland be rejected.

Anaerobic digestion is a waste processing operation. We want Cambridgeshire

County Council (CCC) to decide against an extreme and irreversible change of use

which will have multiple adverse affects on the quality of life and well-being of

residents and will compromise biodiversity.

We are asking CCC to recognise the deep level of concern felt by residents.

There will be significant road safety risks from frequent and unrestricted heavy

goods movements; 46 journeys per day in peak months, many, if not most, on

unsuitable narrow roads; peak times will stretch between May and October. We

believe the transport plan is unrealistic and expect CCC to thoroughly interrogate

the data and claims.

We also believe serious threats will have a high negative impact, but are being

downplayed.

• Odour is an inevitable product of the processes and feed material imported and

also of the storage, movement and dispersal of the digestate.

• There is a pollution threat to air, land and water and heavy use of mains water.

• There will be noise nuisance from operations 24 hours a day, 6 days a week.

• There may be structural damage to listed buildings and there is acknowledged

potential of damage to archeological artefacts.

• There will be intrusive disturbance to the Roman Road, a nationally renowned

historic site; this is the only bridleway in the area and part of the Harcamlow

Way, a long distance trail.

The application understates the implications of a longterm industrial development

in the midst off an unspoilt natural environment. It lacks important detail, figures

are misleading, mitigations are minimal, plans for monitoring are weak and claims

for carbon neutrality are unjustified.

The Duty to Cooperate requires local authorities to work effectively on strategic

planning matters that cross boundaries. Residents in South Cambridgeshire

villages expect CCC to ensure that accumulative adverse effects are not imposed

on small rural communities by two anaerobic digestion plants sited in close

proximity, one in Streetly End and another between Withersfield and Haverhill.

It is important that residents can be listened to beyond the short formal

opportunity for consultation and that the voices of residents, walkers, riders and

cyclists are heard and the enhancement of plant and animal life given serious consideration, with a net gain.

We urge CCC to provide leadership, by replacing the

ageing technology of anaerobic digestion and rather supporting clean green

energy solutions.