The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has decided to reopen the window for Interested Parties to submit representations about the National Grid Sea Link project for a 2 gigawatt (GW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable between Suffolk and Thanet.
To bring the power from the subsea cables into and out of the electricity network there will be converter stations, substations and new underground and overhead electricity lines at both ends. This includes a 28-metre high, 90,000 square metre onshore converter station at Minster marshes in the Stour Valley.
National Grid’s development consent application for the scheme is now being examined by the Planning Inspectorate.
Submissions to register to give comments were originally closed on Monday 23 June but on July 8, PINS published a letter which was critical of a number of elements of National Grid’s submission, including the following relevant to the proposed infrastructure in Kent:
- That the visual representative viewpoints were inadequate and additional ones were required
- That the air quality modelling was aligned with an out of date Emissions Factor Toolkit (EFT) and that modelling should be carried out in accordance with the EFT published in March 2025
- That the Examining Authority (ExA) would like to see similar structures, ideally sited in Kent, to help her understand the physical scale, noise and vibration and lighting impacts of the proposed infrastructure
- That National Grid didn’t carry out a harbour seal survey in August when the population is most active and only surveyed September – November. The ExA said they either need to do a new survey or explain why they surveyed at the time they did
- That the baselines for impact on commercial fisheries is out of date and again, they either need to explain why or submit new information
Due to “an error in publishing the applicant’s notice under regulation 9 of the Applications: another relevant representation period will open for the Sea Link project” for Interested Parties to submit representations from Friday 18th July to Monday 18th August.
Details here: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN020026
Since the Application was submitted, there has also been updated guidance on flood risk and surface water drainage published by the Environment Agency and PINS has asked for National Grid to provide revised submissions taking this new guidance into account.
A spokesperson for Save Minster Marshes said: “We are delighted there is a new opportunity for anyone who missed the previous deadline to have their say on National Grid’s plans. Over the course of our campaigning during the last window to register which closed on 23rd June, it became very clear how few people in Thanet were aware of the proposed development.”
A National Grid spokesperson said: “Due to an administrative error in arrangements between National Grid and a local newspaper, the statutory planning notice was not published on a second occasion, as scheduled, in a local newspaper circulating in Suffolk, as required under S.56 of the Planning Act.
“As a result, the Planning Inspectorate has reopened the Relevant Representations period for any party that was not aware of the project and has not yet made a representation, to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to take part. We support this step and are working closely with the Planning Inspectorate and republishing the notices to keep the process moving.”
The process
The Examining Authority will review all representations to help them set a timetable for the Examination. This formally begins the day after the Preliminary Meeting and will run for six months.
When the Examination has concluded, the Planning Inspectorate will write a report on their findings, including a recommendation regarding whether or not to grant a DCO for the project.
For applications by National Grid this report will go to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero within three months of the Examination closing.
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero has the final say on whether to grant or refuse development consent. They must make a decision within three months of receiving the Recommendation.
Once a decision has been made, there is a six week period in which anybody can legally challenge the Secretary of State’s decision. If a challenge is made, the High Court will decide if there are grounds for the decision to be judicially reviewed.
In all the process will take about 18 months.
Is there ANYBODY in the local area who actually supports this scheme?
Me. I don’t know what it’s all about but I like to be positive about things.
In that case join save Minster marshes and be positive about protecting our countryside from this monstrosity which if allowed will totally destroy the marshlands and Pegwell Bay along with the myriad of wildlife living, feeding and breeding there. National Grud is a FOREIGN company with foreign shareholders, who want to build these monstrisities in OUR country, at our expense, so they can send the energy and the profits to europe and their shareholders. Click on the link and raise your objections; it only takes a few minutes to help save our precious PROTECTED countryside and habitats from a certain death.
No No No this is against all environmental issues minister a natural marshes wildlife it’s a joke it has to be