Decision on Sea Link Development Consent Revealed: What You Need to Know

Overview of the Sea Link Project

The Sea Link Project involves the construction of a new converter station located within 5 kilometres of the proposed Friston substation. This facility will be interconnected through High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) underground cables, linking the converter station to the Friston substation.

Application Submission and Examination

The application for the project was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for review by National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) Plc on 27 March 2025 and was accepted for examination on 23 April 2025.

During the examination period, which allowed public participation, statutory consultees, and interested parties to present their evidence to the Examining Authority, recommendations were subsequently forwarded to the Secretary of State on 30 July 2026.

Progress and Community Involvement

This application marks the 118th energy project out of a total of 186 applications examined thus far and was completed by the Planning Inspectorate within the statutory timeframe established by the Planning Act 2008.

Local communities have continued to be actively involved in the examination process for projects that may impact them. Residents, local authorities, and other stakeholders had the opportunity to engage in this six-month examination.

Consideration of Local Views

The Examining Authority attentively considered all local perspectives and the evidence presented throughout the examination process prior to making its recommendations to the Secretary of State.

Access to Decision and Evidence

The decision, along with the recommendations made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, as well as the evidence reviewed during the examination, is publicly accessible on the project pages of the National Infrastructure Planning website.

This decision was rendered by Baroness Curran, acting on behalf of the Energy Secretary’s legal authority.

Contact Information

For further information, inquiries may be directed to the Planning Inspectorate Press Office at 0303 444 5004 or 0303 444 5005, or via email at Press.office@planninginspectorate.gov.uk.