A protest march is set to take place in a Suffolk market town this weekend against plans to create a 26 metre high converter station as part of an offshore wind energy project.

Action groups including Suffolk Energy Action Solutions (SEAS), Saxmundham Against Needless Destruction (SAND) and Offshore4sure have organised the demonstration on Saturday, which will start outside Market Hall in Saxmundham at 10am.

The march will then proceed up to the proposed site for the converter station at the top of Church Hill.

READ MORE: Saxmundham council's warning in Sea Link plans response

Power firm National Grid is planning to create the converter station to receive electricity cabling associated with a number of wind farm projects, including Sea Link, LionLink and Nautilus.

The Sea Link project is a 145km cable connection between Suffolk and Kent, while LionLink refers to the cable between Suffolk and the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the Nautilus interconnector will take power from the UK to Belgium.

The planned converter station is among broader energy infrastructure proposed for the area, which will include a new substation at Friston.

READ MORE: Suffolk upset over Nautilus decision to route to Friston

In December 2023, Saxmundham Town Council wrote to National Grid expressing its opposition to the converter station, fearing the plans would "industrialise" the town and not provide any jobs as compensation.

The council's chair Diana Eastman said: “The current proposals from National Grid will cause huge permanent damage to our historic town, changing its character forever, damaging its attractiveness and all without any compensation or benefit whatsoever for local people.

"We understand the need for an energy transformation over the coming decades, but Saxmundham must not be the victim of a series of uncoordinated projects from privately owned concerns which piggy-back randomly off each other without a nationally agreed plan." 

A spokesperson for National Grid said: “The proposed Sea Link, LionLink and Nautilus projects are essential to meet the government's clean power target.

"Consumer demand for energy is set to double in the coming years and these projects will ensure that homes and businesses in Suffolk and across the UK can benefit from cleaner, more affordable energy.

“National Grid will work closely with Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk Council to ensure any construction work would be completed with minimal disruption to surrounding areas, subject to approval from the Planning Inspectorate.

"Plans would include extensive traffic management plans to include key times like bird breeding and wintering seasons and tourism patterns to minimise construction traffic impact wherever possible.

“Proposals put forward to planning authorities always consider this along with biodiversity and impact on the landscape.”
 

READ MORE: Consultation on Suffolk Sea Link offshore electricity plans