Suffolk County Council 'deeply disappointed' at plans for power cable between UK and Netherlands
There are fears the LionLink project could damage habitats around several towns in East Suffolk
Last updated 25th Aug 2023
Suffolk county councillors are ‘deeply disappointed’ to learn about the new onshore cabling proposals which could affect towns in East Suffolk.
The proposal is part of a first-of-its-kind electricity link to connect offshore wind between the UK and the Netherlands.
Nicknamed LionLink, the multi-purpose interconnector can supply enough power to maintain around 1.8 million homes.
SCC councillors, however, believe the necessary onshore cabling could affect Southwold and Walberswich.
Councillor Richard Rout, deputy leader and cabinet member for Finance and Environment, said he is “deeply disappointed that National Grid has chosen to consider such a lengthy and complex cable route.”
He added: “The impact of these proposals on communities in and around Southwold and Walberswick could be stark.
“I’m concerned that coordinating this project with schemes further to the south seems to have been so readily dismissed.”
The LionLink is a joint project between the two countries and aims to connect multiple offshore wind farms in the North Sea instead of having individual farms connected one by one to the shore.
Cllr Rout has also called for explanation as to why other “far less harmful alternatives” had not been fully considered.
He continued: “The large amount of infrastructure and lack of coordination will spread the impact much more widely across Suffolk’s communities and landscapes, including in the nationally important Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“The council will need to consider the full proposals when they are published and, as ever, if it proceeds we will be insisting the developer does everything they can to minimise the impact on communities along Suffolk’s coast.”