Campaigners fighting plans to route power cables from offshore wind farms through the Suffolk countryside say they are "encouraged" that archaeological surveys are taking place.

Renewable power firm ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) is carrying out onshore archaeological works along a 9.7km corridor between Thorpeness and a substation at Friston.

The investigations, which are ongoing between now and the end of 2025, are part of early development works for two of the company's offshore wind farms - East Anglia ONE North (EA1N) and East Anglia TWO (EA2) - which are set to provide enough power for more than 1.8 million homes.

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Action group Suffolk Energy Action Solutions (SEAS) is opposed to plans to bring cabling from the two wind farms ashore, fearing the impact on the county's environment, social health and wellbeing, the tourist economy and coastal communities.

SEAS founder Fiona Gilmore said one of the group's concerns was that the cables would be run through countryside that was rich in archaeological treasure.

She believed the excavations could unearth many more artefacts as previous investigations along the Bramford to Bawdsey route near Woodbridge had uncovered treasures dating back to the Neolithic period.

SEAS' Fiona Gilmore at a protest outside Suffolk County Council's officesSEAS' Fiona Gilmore at a protest outside Suffolk County Council's offices (Image: Charlotte Bond) SEAS has proposed that cabling is routed to a brownfield site at the Isle of Grain in Kent instead and would like an offshore grid to be created to take cabling, rather than routing the infrastructure through the countryside.

Fiona said: "We are therefore encouraged to hear that ScottishPower is planning to carry out full archaeological surveys during the next year with results by end of 2025. 

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"We have consistently recommended since 2020 that the offshore wind farms should be constructed without delay. We are not 'blockers'. 

"However, the cable trench route and landfall connection at Friston are mired in controversy and we recommend that an already used and proven cable route closer to London is chosen using an existing brownfield site closer to demand.

"There are a number of options and we think that in the very near future SPR EA2 and EA1N should be fast tracked and should be taken to a major energy hub where all the infrastructure is oven ready now for usage."