East Suffolk Council
Council submits Relevant Representation to the Planning Inspectorate objecting to National Grid’s Sea Link project
National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) submitted an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Sea Link project to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on 27 March 2025, which was accepted for examination on 23 April 2025.
Following a comprehensive review of NGET’s submitted application documentation by East Suffolk Council’s officers, ESC submitted its Relevant Representation to PINS prior to the 23 June 2025 deadline objecting to the project.
This submission was designed to provide the Examining Authority, which will be examining the application during the six-month Examination commencing later this year, with a summary of the Council’s principal concerns, together with supporting context.
The Relevant Representation states:
“ESC’s position on the Sea Link project at the 2023 statutory consultation was one of objection. This position has been maintained since that time throughout the pre-application process. In light of the lack of engagement by the Applicant…ESC has no choice but to continue to object to the Sea Link project in view of the detrimental impacts that will be imposed upon the local communities who will be compelled to host and neighbour the project’s onshore infrastructure. It is apparent that the Sea Link project will result in further unacceptable harm to the communities, environment and economy of East Suffolk over and above the other numerous infrastructure projects that have already been forced upon the local community.
“In the event that the project is consented, ESC remains fully committed to working with the Applicant in the interests of our local communities and environments, to secure the best outcomes possible.”
This Representation will be expanded on in greater detail within ESC’s Local Impact Report, which will be submitted during the Examination.
ESC also organised engagement events with the town and parish councils proposed to host the project should it be granted development consent, helping to ensure that their views and local knowledge informed ESC’s submission. This engagement was also used as a further opportunity to encourage town and parish councils to register themselves as Interested Parties to ensure they are able to participate in the upcoming Examination. ESC’s Relevant Representation can be viewed online, and will also be uploaded to the PINS Sea Link project page in due course.
East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for Energy and Climate Change, Cllr Tom Daly said:
“Sea Link is of course just one of many NSIPs impacting our district. Close coordination of these projects working with other projects, ESC and local communities is the only way forward in minimising impacts on environment and communities.
“The lack of required pre-app engagement from NGET does not bode well. If this project is consented, we appeal to NGET and the inspector to ensure that coordination and close engagement with ESC, affected communities other NSIPs, particularly at the converter station site, is a central feature of how Sea Link progresses.”
The Sea Link project, if granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, would involve the reinforcement of the electricity transmission network between Suffolk and Kent.
Although part of the project comprises a 122km offshore direct current link, in addition to onshore infrastructure in Kent, a significant amount of onshore infrastructure is proposed in East Suffolk, including a transition joint bay approximately 900m inshore from a landfall point between Thorpeness and Aldeburgh, almost 12km of underground onshore cables, a new 2GW high voltage direct current (HVDC) converter station near Saxmundham, a new bridge over the River Fromus to provide a permanent access to the converter station from the B1121, and a connection to the existing transmission network via the substation at Friston, including the substation itself should this not be delivered under ScottishPower Renewables’ existing consents.
The onshore infrastructure would have significant environmental, social, and economic impacts, both alone and cumulatively with other nationally significant infrastructure projects in East Suffolk, including those that are operational, under construction, consented, and proposed for the future.
Further detail about NGET’s proposals, including the full suite of application documents, can be found on PINS’ dedicated Sea Link project page. NGET have also organised for hard copies of the core application documents relating to the Suffolk Onshore Scheme part of the project to be held at Aldeburgh Library and Saxmundham Library.