Sea Link has today been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net
Zero.
The decision follows a detailed Examination process led by the Planning Inspectorate. Prior to this, we held
three rounds of public consultation on our plans between 2022 and 2024. Both the Planning Inspectorate’s
Examination process and our own consultations involved significant engagement with and input from local
communities, elected representatives, landowners, businesses, councils and environmental organisations.
You can read more about the decision online here.
The granting of development consent allows us to now move towards construction, and help meet the UK’s
growing need for cleaner, more secure and homegrown power. As well as strengthening the UK’s energy
network, Sea Link will deliver significant local benefits for local communities, businesses, and investment in
skills and education, including:
a £1.56 million Community Fund in Kent
- creating new wildlife habitats (10% increase)
- creating 15 new local jobs (full-time equivalent) during construction
- investment in skills, education, and employment initiatives
- £1.1m gross value added (GVA) to the local economy during construction
We will deliver the project considerately and honour the commitments we made during Examination. These
are written into our plans. We have summarised some of the key commitments in the factsheets for Kent and
Suffolk. With construction expected to commence in early 2027, we will now work with local authorities and
other key stakeholders to agree final technical details and obligations. These include precise measures for
traffic and environmental management. This process is known as discharging requirements. It is similar to
meeting the conditions set on local planning applications.
In Kent, we will continue to carry out archaeology excavations and unexploded ordnance surveys, which
started in August and are due to be complete by Spring 2027. In Suffolk, construction is continuing at the new
Kiln Lane substation near Friston. Kiln Lane already has consent and is being delivered ahead of Sea Link.
We will continue to deliver Kiln Lane in line with the existing consent.