As Andy Burnham made his first address to the House of Commons as Prime Minister today (September 1) the MP for constituencies including West Thanet took the opportunity to raise the issue of National Grid’s Sea Link project and the company’s undertaking of preparatory works at Minster Marshes before approval for the scheme has been granted.
Sir Roger Gale requested that the PM ‘intervene’ and condemned the action of undertaking the works while the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Miatta Fahnbulleh was yet to issue a decision on a development consent order for the project to go ahead.
Sir Roger has been fiercely opposed to the Sea Link scheme which will include a 28-metre high onshore converter station and substation, taking 90,000m2 of land at Minster Marshes.
He previously voiced his anger at the current works taking place off Ebbsfleet Lane North, saying: “While the Secretary of State has yet to determine the outcome of the Sea Link Inquiry into National Grid’s proposals to build a monstrous ‘converter station’ on the Minster Marshes it has become clear that with characteristic arrogance the Grid – a private company – is blundering ahead with ‘preparatory work’ in spite of the fact that no planning consents have been granted.
“This makes a mockery of the planning process and is an issue that I shall raise, via a request for an Urgent Question, in the House as soon as possible.”
Today he raised that issue. In response the Prime Minister said: “I’m not familiar with the planning situation that he mentioned but I will look out for him and I will have a word with him and I will see if I can do something to look into it.”
Last month Thanet council granted planning permission for the National Grid archaeological mitigation works comprising soil stripping, excavation and archaeological recording, with subsequent reinstatement of the land and associated temporary works.
The application received five public objections and a statement from Thanet Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) which stated: “Thanet CPRE would not necessarily have an objection to the principle of properly controlled archaeological investigation and recording……however there is a concern that the application potentially normalises such early enabling works before Sea Link has been decided.
“Any permission must be strictly without prejudice to the DCO i.e. must not be treated as acceptance of the principle, location or need for the converter station, and must not reduce scrutiny of the unresolved Sea Link issues.”
The public objections raised concerns in relation to impacts on biodiversity, impact on agricultural land quality, flood risk associated with open excavations and works on site beginning prior to planning permission being granted.
The excavation on agricultural land totals an area of 7.24 hectares.
A Thanet council report says: “Concerns have been raised with regards to works beginning on site prior to determination of the planning application and the Sea Link Development Consent Order (DCO), to which the proposed archaeological mitigation works would contribute.
“The Applicant has confirmed that the proposed works have not commenced on site and preparatory works comprising ecology checks and site walkovers are the only activities that have taken place in advance of determination of the application.”
A spokesperson for National Grid said: “We recognise there is interest in our Sea Link proposals and have sought to develop them responsibly, taking account of the local environment and feedback from communities shared through the planning process.
“The current work near Minster is limited to archaeological excavation and other early investigative activity, approved separately by the local authority. Any permanent Sea Link infrastructure would still need development consent from the Secretary of State before it could be built.”
The planned Sea Link project by National Grid is for a 2 gigawatt (GW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable between Suffolk and Thanet.
The plans include a 28-metre high onshore converter station at Minster marshes in the Stour Valley and a takeover of land at the former hoverport during the construction phase. The proposal would house a converter station and substation, taking 90,000m2 of land.
The proposed £1.1 billion high-voltage subsea cable project will have cables making landfall at two highly sensitive locations: RSPB’s North Warren Nature Reserve in Suffolk and Kent Wildlife Trust’s Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve. Both sites sit within landscapes of multiple national and international conservation designations.
During the DCO examination process numerous speakers turned out to share their concerns and opposition to the plans which campaigners and residents say will blight areas of significantly important nature and wildlife.
The recommendation report was finalised and sent to the Secretary of State in July. A decision is expected in November.
East Thanet MP Polly Billington was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on July 22 as part of the changes installed by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
A spokesperson for Ms Billington previously said that she will have no role in the planning process and, due to the conflict of interest that arises from the project being located close to her constituency, she is recused from all discussions relating to Sea Link.
If approved, the project will move into the construction phase, which is indicatively planned to start this year and run until 2031.
“A spokesperson for Ms Billington previously said that she will have no role in the planning process and, due to the conflict of interest that arises from the project being located close to her constituency, she is recused from all discussions relating to Sea Link.”
Ms Billington maybe”rescued” from the discussion. All of the people of her constituency require now, is to be “rescued” from her. Even, Count bin face could do a better job. It will be interesting to see will Ms Billington stand in the constituency again or will she be “rescued”, and moved to a more safe constituency where the poor people there will have her inflicted on them?
Difficult to know if you are making a bad play on words or do not know the difference between recused and rescued. If the former it is rather lame.
u ok hun?
Good old Roger, bad middle-aged Polly.
Nimbyism at its worst,we have to improve our energy resilience, but it has to be in someone else’s back garden.
And while we are at it let’s ban dock walking at reculver and maybe blean woods as well.
Nature England and the green nimbyists should take a long hard look at themselves.
Dock walking should be banned everywhere. Except at docks.
Of course the dinosaur Gale is up to his usual nimby tricks and doesn’t want employment opportunities for construction workers in Thanet.
Construction workers have more than enough employment opportunities in Thanet.
We get it, you’re a self centred, nimby chud. You’ve already established this fact.
If protecting our remaining Green spaces and wildlife is self-centred and nimby, then guilty as charged your honour! You enjoy your concrete.
Oh I will enjoy it, because I don’t refuse evolution and I don’t prefer championing rose tinted nostalgia. The population is ever growing, and those people need places to live, eat and engage in recreation and the logistical infrastructure to allow that.
Thankfully, those who refuse to evolve get left in the dust like the fossils they are.
Why if absolutely necessary, will it not be built on the old derelict site of the power station and cooling towers? Wouldn’t that be the most sensible place? Instead they want a fresh piece of the marsh to destroy the supposedly protected wildlife and scenery next to an area of special scientific importance. It’s crazy really how that could be expected to be passed when alternative sites are available.
One presumes you didn’t realise you can use googlemaps to view the site in satellite mode and realise why your suggestion is daft.
Take a look at the majority shareholders of the private company National Grid! Don’t be fooled by the name as it’s not publicly owned:
BlackRock, Inc.: ~8.1% – 9.3%,
The Vanguard Group / Vanguard Capital Management: ~3.97%,
Capital Research and Management Company: ~2.86%,
Lazard Asset Management LLC: ~2.19%,
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority: ~2.38%
Do you think they care about our wildlife and natural environment? It’s a disgrace that a private company that has paid out £7.399 billion in cash dividends to shareholders over the last five financial years is allowed to even contemplate this environmental destruction when there are brownfield alternatives not far away!
Are the brownfield alternatives within workable logistical distance, or do you want more pylons?
Oh that’s interesting, the same companies that are destroying all of Europe!!
As I said before Polly B is a minister therefore she has to keep clear, but of course there are internal channels of communication she can use, and probably has. Sir Rog is bringing tge natter to the attention of tge PM is also fine.
I think we would all be a bit more sympathetic to the Checksfield view, if he wasn’t an ardent supporter of the revival of Manston aerodrome, which will harm this bit of nature just as much as Nat Grid.
Responsible Polly, two faced Checksfield!
She only has to keep clear if climbing the political ladder is more important to her than the constituents she is supposed to represent. Which it is of course. Unlike Sir Roger Gale, who has never had higher ambitions in the party, much to the party’s loss but Thanet’s gain.
As for two faced, I buy, use, wear and eat imports. Unless you do not, then you’re the hypocrite, Rusty Man.
“As for two faced, I buy, use, wear and eat imports.”
Interesting, given that across other comment sections, you always champion buying local and bemoan the lack of things like local shoe shops. Hoisted by your own petard, much?
Wonderful though Birchington-on-Sea is, they don’t manufacture French-style cologne and Italian-style suits, nor do they grow bananas and tea.
Rather than the coke heads and career grifters in parliament deciding the fate of the marshland, wouldn’t it be better if Messrs Checksfield and Noakes wrestle in the mud to decide the outcome? It’ll be a lot more honest than the politicians in the pockets of Black rock deciding.
Only if we can do it naked.
Why of course, I don’t see how the result could be valid otherwise.
having seen photos of you in undress back in the day, I don’t think its ethically correct to allow saggy naked mole rats to fight it out.
I bet you looked at them long and hard.
It would be like pitting a tiger tank against a poodle.But this HYS is mad enough as it is with out introducing an element of homo erotica