The High Court has given permission for interconnector company Aquind to apply for judicial review of the decision of the Secretary of State to reject a Development Consent Order for its planned link with France. The Court has confirmed that the claim has raised arguable grounds which merit consideration at a full hearing.
Aquind wants to build a 2MW interconnector between southern England and Normandy, France. It would make landfall at Eastney on Portsea Island, Portsmouth, and would connect to Normandy in France.
The proposed development was a ‘project of common interest’ under the European Union TEN-E Regulation but the secretary of state noted that after the UK exited the European Union the project lost that status. Nevetheless the company noted that a new Ten Year Network Development Plan 2022, produced after consultation by European electricity networks organisation ENTSO-E, supported more interconnection between the GB and continental grids. It highlighted an independent System Needs Study for the plan, which it says, “identifies an urgent economic need for an additional 4800MW of interconnection capacity by 2030 over the existing 4000MW between France and Great Britain.”
National Infrastructure Planning had recommended approval of the project but it had faced determined local opposition, including from local MPs Penny Mordaunt and Stephen Morgan.
The refusal noted ‘adverse effects’ including impacts on tourism, sports pitches and the Victorious Festival and from compulsory purchase.
It added that given “the combination of impacts that result from the proposed landfall in an urban location, the Secretary of State considers that in the circumstances of this particular application it is exceptionally necessary to consider whether sufficient consideration has been given to whether there are more appropriate alternatives to the proposed route,” especially as regards substation siting. In particular the secretary of state noted that more consideration could have been given to using the existing Manningtree substation, after the Navitus Bay offshore wind farm was refused development consent.
Local councils including Havant, Hampshire County Council, Winchester Council and Portsmouth City Council expressed concerns over cable routes and other onshore works.