Saxmundham Town Council: Transparency Statement on Sea Link Project
Saxmundham Town Council strongly objects to the siting of the proposed converter stations in or near the parish.
However, recognising the risk of long-term industrialisation without associated local benefits, the Council has taken a pragmatic, community-focused approach to protect residents, our natural environment, and quality of life.
To that end, the Council has published a consultation paper, Empowering Nature: A Greener Future for the Fromus Communities, to engage residents and neighbouring parishes in identifying meaningful forms of mitigation and environmental enhancement. Subject to community feedback, the Council may include these proposals in its own Relevant Representation. The consultation can be accessed at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/XRPZLVT
This step is not premature — it is essential. Under the current planning regime, the Relevant Representation sets the scope and direction of the entire examination. Substantial new issues cannot be introduced later in the process. This requirement became even more stringent in August 2024, when changes to the NSIPs regime introduced a more compressed timetable.
If Saxmundham is to have any hope of securing meaningful benefit, it must be clearly articulated now.
The Empowering Nature paper was published as part of the publicly available meeting pack in May 2025, when councillors considered whether to consult the community – which, in our view, includes residents, neighbouring parishes, and the principal authorities. We are sharing the paper with those partners and welcome further discussion. We believe it is vital that our residents are consulted early and directly on issues of this scale and impact.
Some campaign groups have urged the Council to delay discussion of mitigation until later stages. However, Suffolk County Council’s Community Engagement and Wellbeing Policy is clear: early engagement with communities is not only appropriate but essential. It helps protect wellbeing, shape outcomes, and secure local benefits before key decisions are made.
The Council’s approach balances opposition to the siting with its duty to safeguard the interests of Saxmundham’s residents, environment, and long-term quality of life.
Empowering Nature has done exactly what it was intended to do: spark informed dialogue, raise ambition, and ensure that Saxmundham enters the examination process with a clear, community-backed voice.
Stating opposition alone is not enough of a strategy. If consent is granted, these structures will sit on Saxmundham’s boundary for 40 years. This is our opportunity to shape that legacy. Waiting until it’s too late will not protect our town.
Without prejudice to its formal objection to the siting of the converter station, the Council is engaging in mitigation discussions solely to protect the community’s interests in the event that consent is granted.
