On 18th April, Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) is taking part in the National Day of Action for Nature to send a message to government that people everywhere care deeply about the natural world and want to see it protected and restored. To mark the occasion, we have kindly been given permission by two local landowning families to plant two 3-metre trees on their private land, one on either side of the B1122 in the Theberton and Eastbridge Parish in East Suffolk.
The two trees are Suffolk grown oaks. They are to be to be planted to commemorate the twenty thousand plus trees which have been sacrificed for the building of Sizewell C, in particular the many wonderful mature hedgerow trees which have formed an integral part of the East Suffolk landscape for decades – much loved and sadly missed. The trees’ locations have been selected so that they will be visible in the landscape and provision has been made for their future maintenance.
We recognise that this is not the ideal time of the year to be planting trees, but TASC want to mark the National Day of Action, and we hope our action will encourage other parishes impacted by Sizewell C to plant more community hedgerow trees later in the year. We trust these oak trees will give communities some positive thoughts for the future of the natural world in our area, following the devastation that Sizewell C has inflicted.
TASC is, of course, aware that Sizewell C has a legal obligation to restore the East Suffolk landscape, but we have concerns that many large scale tree plantings have a poor success rate due to a lack of after-care and, even if successful, will take decades to become established.
TASC Chair, Jenny Kirtley said, “This government has shown by its statements and deregulation agenda that it cares not a jot for the natural environment, putting development and so-called growth ahead of the living landscapes on which health, wellbeing, and the future of wildlife depend.
“Surrounded by designated wildlife sites, Sizewell C is a prime example of the unnecessary environmental damage that can occur when government pursues an ideological path irrespective of the damage inflicted, ignoring the evidence of greener, cheaper, safer, sustainable and quicker to deploy alternatives.
“The nature crisis is happening now. It is imperative that we protect and enhance that which already exists – not, as in the case of Sizewell C, destroy precious wildlife habitats with the claim of ‘biodiversity net gain’ decades into the future, with the distinct possibility this ‘gain’ may never come to fruition.”
