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Sent: 14 April 2022 18:28
To: Contact Sealink <contact@sealink.nationalgrid.com>
Subject: General observations following Suffolk webinar

I attended the Suffolk webinar this week and whilst I understand the underlying issues behind the need for a Suffolk to Kent interconnector, I would offer the observation that this need was known before the DCO examination for SPR’s EA1N and EA2 projects, yet NGET/NGESO kept very quiet about the true intention behind the substation at Friston. In fact attempts to get any NG involvement in the DCO process proved almost impossible. Local campaigners realised at a very early stage that the Friston substation was to be a hub and that many other connections would be made. Now that the Secretary of State has announced his decision are true details being revealed to Joe Public

Studying NOA and CION documents it was clear that the 2 interconnectors, plus the plethora of offshore windfarms would be connecting somewhere along the East Coast and the Sizewell area was the closest and most obvious place to start. I can appreciate the moving of the goalposts by the Government in respect of the 2030 renewable target of 30 GW increasing to 40GW and now potentially 50GW has thrown plans your into disarray, but this shift to renewables is not an overnight event. The prospect of multiple offshore windfarms and European Interconnectors has been ‘in the wind’ for many years.

What local communities and campaigners find most depressing is the complete disregard for the local environment, pushing ahead and supporting a plan to force a huge carbuncle upon the medieval village of Friston, developing an open green space of agricultural land into a vast industrial complex completely out of place with its surroundings. Friston will be blighted forever. This would not be such a bitter pill to swallow if there weren’t alternative sites or technology available.

Bradwell in Essex is a brownfield site that could easily accommodate all the infrastructure needed for the connection of renewables and interconnectors. The overhead lines would possibly need to be uprated to achieve this but as was stated in the webinar, an upgrade to the transmission system is a consideration anyway. Located on the river Blackwater, convenient for sea access.

There are also offshore substation hubs to be considered. Whilst SPR consistently maintained this technology was insufficiently advanced or even in existence to be considered, other Scandinavian countries are progressing in this direction. What do they know you don’t?

In light of the silence from National Grid and the obvious mis-information and deniability of other projects revealed during the EA1N and EA2 enquiry, a proper fair analysis of the cumulative impact these will have on communities in Suffolk was not possible. The inevitable damage to the hospitality industry, THE major employer in the area, and as a result incomes of those employed in the industry; the harm to the environment and wild life; and the misery and suffering of local communities caused by all these NSIPs, trying to sell the benefits of Sealink will be an uphill struggle. There is considerable local opposition to all these projects and the prospect of yet another round of DCO examinations fills many with dread.

Save Our Sandlings was formed to protect an area of East Suffolk known as the the Suffolk Sandlings, an area of sandy lowland heathland. Lowland heath is a rare and threatened habitat internationally and the UK has 20% of the global total. Two important regions of lowland heathland are found in Suffolk: Breckland on the Norfolk/Suffolk border and the Sandlings along the coastal belt. Only 8% of the original 1,600ha remain in 42 fragments under 2ha. (source: Suffolkbis.org)

The key National Biodiversity Action Plan species using the heathlands in Suffolk include Stone Curlew, Nightjar, Woodlark, Skylark, Linnet, Natterjack Toad, Silver-Studded Blue butterfly, Red-Tipped Cudweed, Tower Mustard, Perennial Knawel and Small Alison. In addition two Suffolk Character species, adder and antlion, now have individual Local Action Plans.

In addition, the Sandlings Way, and ancient long-distance path from Ipswich in the South to Lowestoft in the North follows the coast line from Bawdsey to Dunwich passing through Thorpeness and Sizewell. These latter locations are the landfall points for offshore cables.

The Coastal area of Suffolk comprises the Suffolk Coast & Heath Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Specially Protected Areas. The area is a continual draw for visitors throughout the year, and is extremely important to the local economy. As can be observed from the convoluted path for the EA1N and EA2 cable corridor, avoiding the AONB, SSSis, ESA and SPA has proven far from straightforward. As we understand it, cable runs require a degree of separation, and there are a number of pinch points along the route chosen by SPR, making additional cable runs extremely challenging. There is also the lack of acceptable real estate to land cables in the Thorpeness area. The Thorpeness cliffs comprise Coraline Crag which is immensely unstable when disturbed, there have numerous cliffs falls, one of which proved fatal. The cliffs are also home to a colony of Sand Martins.

We have serious concerns for the future of the Sandlings from development and the prospect of any number of cable corridors running through the area, there will be at least 5 projects worth as known at present. How these cables will route through to Friston without disturbing environmentally sensitive areas is unclear; we are concerned this will not be possible.

Given all the above, establishing offshore hubs make eminent sense. It will also be a much easier sell to coastal communities and business. It is highly likely a judicial review of the SoS BEIS DCO decision will be requested in light of a number of discrepancies during the examination and emergence of further information. Accepting that offshore structures present a possible visual intrusion on the seascape, this disbenefit is vastly outweighed by the benefits to the environment and visual landscape at Friston. Surely a win-win for National Grid.

Save Our Sandlings works closely with Substation Action, Save East Suffolk (SASES) and Suffolk Energy Action Solutions (SEAS) and welcome the opportunity to work with you in your Community Engagement activities. Our aims are to protect our precious environment and way of life for future generations. Once land is lost under concrete and steel, there is no going back. We are not anti-renewables or NIMBYs; we consider these are the RIGHT projects in the WRONG place. Most especially when there are acceptable alternatives.

Kind regards

Paul Chandler
Save Our Sandlings

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