It was announced yesterday that East Suffolk Council had written a letter of objection to the government about the Sea Link proposals, a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) which would see Suffolk linked with Kent with offshore cabling. The National Grid plans include onshore construction which includes underground cabling from Aldeburgh to a converter station to the southeast of Saxmundham, then further underground cabling to a substation at Friston – significant onshore construction in a rural area close to the Suffolk coast and only a few miles away from the Sizewell C construction site.
The official opposition at Suffolk County Council, the Green, Liberal Democrat group, today urged the Conservative administration to reconsider their decision not to object to the Sea Link proposals.
The council’s Cabinet decided on 12 December that they would not formally object to the project at this stage, despite noting a lack of information, poor engagement with both the council and the local community, and the impact on tourism and the local economy during construction.
Leader of the Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent Group, Councillor Andrew Stringer, said:
“We are asking again for the Conservatives at Suffolk County Council to stop sitting on the fence about the Sea Link proposals, which are opposed strongly by the local community.
The Conservatives seem to be saying that by not objecting now, they will be in a more influential position later when more details about the project are known. We would argue that the lack of information provided in the proposals are ample grounds for at least a holding objection.
Suffolk County Council should follow East Suffolk Council’s lead and stand up for our communities.”
Suffolk Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent Group 