Campaigners have issued a stark warning that approval of a Development Consent Order (DCO) for National Grid’s Sea Link Project would be tantamount to “signing the death warrant” for wildlife in Thanet.
The project, which proposes installing an underwater cable connecting Kent and Suffolk with landfall at Pegwell Bay, a nationally significant nature reserve, would see the destruction of Minster Marshes, a vital wildlife habitat, beneath a massive converter station.
Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) has voiced strong concerns over the impact on Pegwell Bay Nature Reserve, a protected area opened by Sir David Attenborough in 1999. A previous National Grid project, the Nemo Link, caused irreversible damage to the saltmarsh, with promised mitigation measures never carried out.
Campaigners argue that the mitigation measures proposed by National Grid for the Sea Link project are wholly inadequate. The designated site near Discovery Park in Sandwich is adjacent to the busy A256, where noise and light pollution would make it unsuitable for wildlife displaced from Minster Marshes.
The environmentalists say they do support the transition to renewable energy, but not at the expense of wildlife, pointing out that there are several other alternative routes Sea Link project could take that would be less damaging.
Emma Waller of Kent Wildlife Trust, who is leading the “Rethink Sea Link” campaign, said: “We had anticipated that the National Grid would submit the Development Consent Order imminently, and we stand firmly by our objections.
“This is an environmentally damaging scheme that will devastate wildlife at Minster Marshes and seriously impact Pegwell Bay, an area with multiple designations and protections.
“We fully support the transition to renewable energy, but we are facing both a climate and a nature crisis, and these must be addressed together. You cannot destroy the environment to save it.
“There are alternative routes Sea Link could take that would have far less environmental impact. However, they are less cost-effective, and it is heartbreaking to see profit prioritised over our natural world.
“The Planning Inspectorate has 28 days to review the application. If accepted, the application will be made public. At that point, we urge the public to register as interested parties. This is a simple but crucial step, and Save Minster Marshes will be running workshops to guide people through the process.
“We must all speak up for nature, once the marshes are gone, they are gone forever.”
Save Minster Marshes campaigner George Cooper added: “If the planning inspector grants the DCO, they will be signing a death warrant for Thanet’s wildlife.
“The marsh is a vital refuge for rare and legally protected species. Beavers, hares, skylarks, barn owls, slow worms, and lizards all call it home. It also serves as a crucial sanctuary for overwintering birds, cherished by so many at Pegwell Bay. If we lose this habitat, we lose them forever.
“It is unthinkable that this destruction is even being considered when viable alternatives exist. If people want to make a difference, they can join the Minster Marshes Campaign and support Kent Wildlife Trust’s Rethink Sea Link movement.”