Sea Link: now it’s time to stand up and put our case

After what might have seemed an eternity to some, examination of National Grid’s application for a Development Consent Order allowing it to progress its Sea Link scheme finally gets under way next month.

CPRE Kent has had deep concerns about Sea Link, the placing of an underwater electricity link between Suffolk and Kent with onshore converter stations at either end, since the proposals were announced more than two years ago.

The cables are due to make landfall at two highly sensitive locations: Kent Wildlife Trust’s Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve and the RSPB’s North Warren nature reserve in Suffolk.

Further, in Kent, the proposed development would swallow a large chunk of farmland for the converter station and run two new lines of pylons over Abbey Farm at Minster, where so much conservation work has been carried out and some 700 acres are in the government’s Higher Level Stewardship environmental management scheme, and across the River Stour to join another line.

CPRE Kent, Save Minster Marshes and Kent Wildlife Trust are among a range of organisations and individuals who have highlighted quite how damaging National Grid’s plans are.

Now, after NG’s submission on Friday, March 28, of its application for a DCO and subsequent acceptance for examination by the Planning Inspectorate on Wednesday, April 23, the preliminary hearing is being held virtually (Microsoft Teams) on Wednesday, November 5, at 10am, during which the examination process will be set out.

Then come the open floor hearings, in Kent being held at Discovery Park, Sandwich, on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 11-12. This is where interested parties (IPs) “who are individuals, groups and organisations have the opportunity to raise any matters that they consider are important and relevant to the consideration of the application”.

The deadline for written representations is Tuesday, November 18.

CPRE Kent have of course already submitted a substantial relevant representation and there will be a range of other elements to the Planning Inspectorate’s examination process, but these are the ones taking our focus right now… it’s going to be a busy time!

• To read more about Sea Link and National Grid’s DCO application, click here