KWT staff holding up 'Rethink Sea Link' signs outside Houses of Parliament.

Kent Wildlife Trust prepare to fight as Planning Inspectorate accepts application for development consent for Sea Link 

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Kent Wildlife Trust is encouraging people to register as an interested party and stand up for nature after the Planning Inspectorate accepted the application for development consent for the Sea Link Project, an environmentally harmful scheme which will impact East Kent.

The charity remains deeply concerned about the impact the project will have on wildlife at Sandwich and Pegwell Bay, a site with multiple conservation designations, and Minster Marshes, campaigning for National Grid to ‘Rethink Sea Link” and choose one of the less environmentally damaging routes that have been identified for the scheme.

Despite the obvious environmental impacts highlighted by Kent Wildlife Trust and other conservation groups, the Planning Inspectorate has accepted the application for development consent meaning the process has entered the ‘Pre-examination’ stage. During the following months, campaigners from the Trust will be putting forward a case for nature and urging officials to look at other possibilities for the underwater cable that will connect Suffolk and Kent, making landfall at the Nationally important Nature Reserve, Pegwell Bay.

The project involves the construction of a substantial electricity converter station on Minster Marshes, adjacent to the protected Sandwich and Pegwell Bay National Nature Reserve. The development would result in the loss of 13.6 hectares of valuable habitat within Minster Marshes, posing significant threats to local biodiversity.

Kent Wildlife Trust is also asking members of the public to register as Interested Parties in the process so that they can give nature a voice and highlight concerns around the damage to Pegwell Bay and Minster Marshes the scheme will create. Campaigners have created a step-by-step guide to assist people in navigating the system in a bid to help them engage with the process. Once registrations open, the public and organisation will have 30 days to sign up.

Kent Wildlife Trust’s Lead “Rethink Sea Link” Campaigner, Emma Waller says: “We anticipated the application would be accepted by the Planning Inspectorate and whilst it is disappointing, we are ready to make a case for our wildlife and stand up for nature. We absolutely support the move towards renewable energy, but the climate and biodiversity crises must be tackled together - we cannot destroy the environment to save it.

“There were several other alternative routes that this cable could take, but National Grid are putting the most cost-effective solution at the heart of the decision-making process and choosing the most environmentally destructive route for the cable and we are asking them to rethink this scheme and select a route that would result in significantly fewer environmental harms, particularly by safeguarding irreplaceable natural carbon sinks, and deliver greater benefits for nature, climate and communities in the long term.”

Kent Wildlife Trust will be closely reviewing the full DCO application, including the Environmental Statement. The Environmental Statement outlines ecological survey results, proposed mitigation measures, and the overall approach to environmental management. The charity plans to provide a detailed summary of its findings, ensuring that the local community is fully informed of the potential risks and the Trust's efforts to challenge the application.

Emma Waller added: “We will not stand by while this proposal threatens the wildlife and habitats that make Pegwell Bay and Minster Marshes unique, we encourage everyone to get involved and make their voices heard. It’s vital that we all work together to protect our natural environment from unnecessary and harmful developments.”

How you can help

People can help Kent Wildlife Trust by registering as an interested party, joining as a member and supporting the “Rethink Sea Link” campaign.