Pegwell Bay could be the Kent site for the Sea Link

KentOnline / KMTV

Proposed plans on a protected area are being criticised by Kent charity over concerns about the effect building work will have on the environment. Daisy Page reports.

Transcript

00:00The existing electricity network in both Suffolk and Kent, which was originally built in the 1960s,

00:06needs upgrading. The national grid has proposed the planning of the Sea Link, which will connect

00:11the two counties through a subsea cable. And a Kent wildlife charity feared that the fitting of

00:16the cable will cause irreversible damage. We're worried about our local seal population. We have

00:22Kent's largest land haul-out seal site here just 100 metres away from where they're proposing to

00:28start tunnelling some of the vulnerable migratory birds that fly thousands of miles to get here

00:34every year. And they need time on the mudflats undisturbed to basically feed and kind of regain

00:41energy so that they can continue their journey. The trust said that they support the need for

00:46renewable energy, but not when it comes to the cost of wildlife. Through their campaign,

00:51Rethink the Sea Link, they are asking the national grid to look at alternative route options. As they

00:56fear the cost is being considered over the impact of the environment. But national grids say that

01:02Pegwell Bay provides the most balanced option for the project. We've done extensive surveys over a

01:08number of years and we've consulted four times with local communities and statutory authorities and

01:13statutory bodies. We've looked at various options around different areas to bring the cable on shore in

01:19Kent and different converter site locations and what we've selected is what we believe on balance is

01:26the most appropriate site that balances the ecology not just in Pegwell Bay but throughout the entire

01:31route and also to provide a solution that's still value for money for British consumers. While residents

01:36understand the need for the cable, they share concerns over the impact it could have on the environment.

01:42I think four things. One is about Pegwell Bay itself which is a very special and beautiful area. I think the second

01:48thing I would say is recognising that as a country, as a nation, we need more electrical infrastructure

01:54as we move from fossil fuels to renewables. The third thing is whether this is the best place,

02:00the best location to bring this cable ashore. And I think the last thing to say would be if it goes ahead

02:06then how can the adverse impact be minimised during the construction phase and also afterwards.

02:14The Sea Link also has plans to build inland. Minster Marshes has been described as a super highway for nature

02:21as it connects Pegwell Bay to the rest of the southeast but is here where the National Grid has proposed

02:27the planning for their converter and their substations. The location is a drained marsh which is used for

02:33agriculture and the National Grid said it was the only option after a failed search for a suitable brownfield site.

02:40There's a little more than three weeks left for the planning inspectorate to decide whether to

02:44move the National Grid's application to the next stage. Then the public can have their say on how

02:49the landscape looks for generations to come. Daisy Page for KMTV

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