LionLink proposes changes to Suffolk energy project as campaigners say concerns remain
A new consultation will look at proposals including an alternative landfall at Walberswick and reduced construction working hours.
Last updated 3rd Jul 2026
National Grid Ventures has unveiled a series of proposed changes to its LionLink energy project in Suffolk, including an alternative landfall site at Walberswick and reduced construction working hours, following feedback from hundreds of residents during a statutory consultation earlier this year.
About the consultation
The company says the refinements have been shaped by almost 900 responses, alongside engineering, environmental and technical assessments, and will form part of a four-week targeted consultation beginning on 7 July.
LionLink is a proposed subsea electricity interconnector between Great Britain and the Netherlands, linking to a Dutch offshore wind farm and capable of carrying enough electricity to power around 2.5 million homes.
Among the proposed changes are moving the project's landfall further from Walberswick village, alterations to construction access near Darsham, the inclusion of Benhall Railway Bridge within the project boundary to allow potential works for large construction vehicles, and a commitment that Sunday and Bank Holiday working would no longer be routine.
Alex Marsh, Project Director for LionLink, said feedback received during the earlier consultation had "played an important role" in shaping the latest proposals.
"This targeted consultation is an opportunity to share more detail on the changes we are proposing and to hear further views from communities and stakeholders directly impacted," he said.
"We are committed to continuing to refine our plans in a way that carefully considers local feedback alongside technical and environmental considerations."
"It will still have a huge impact"
However, campaigners say the proposed changes appear to make only limited alterations to a project they continue to oppose.
David Pelly, chair of Walberswick Against LionLink (WALL), said campaign groups had submitted what he described as "very substantive" responses during the statutory consultation earlier this year and had hoped National Grid Ventures would return with more fundamental changes.
"As far as we are aware at this point from the press release, they have only come back with very, very limited changes," he told us.
Mr Pelly said campaigners remained concerned about proposals to include Benhall Railway Bridge within the project's boundary, arguing local authorities and communities had consistently maintained it was not a suitable construction access route.
He also questioned the proposed alternative landfall at Walberswick, saying moving it did not resolve the underlying concerns raised by residents.
"What they're trying to do is make it slightly less bad," he said.
"But it will still have a huge impact on the village and the people living in a different part of the village... They haven't really answered our problems."
The targeted consultation follows LionLink's statutory consultation, which ran between January and March.
Mr Pelly acknowledged National Grid Ventures had listened "to a very small degree", but said the changes "go no way to answering the substantive shortfalls and shortcomings that exist in this project."
What campaigners would like to see
Campaign groups continue to argue the infrastructure should instead form part of a coordinated offshore electricity network, with connections brought ashore at existing industrial or brownfield sites closer to where demand is highest.
"We're not opposed to renewable energy," Mr Pelly said.
"Clearly infrastructure has to come onshore, but it shouldn't get a free rein to be put wherever it wants."
He said East Anglia was carrying the burden of multiple nationally significant energy projects, including Sizewell C and Sea Link, and called for greater coordination from government.
"We think the government and the developers need to listen more to the communities being impacted," he said.
Despite their concerns, Mr Pelly said campaigners intended to continue engaging with the consultation process.
He said they hoped National Grid Ventures would reconsider elements of the scheme before submitting its Development Consent Order application, expected later this year.
"We'll continue to make reasoned, rational and logical representations," he said.
"We hope National Grid Ventures will think more radically about what they're doing and maybe we can work with them on a solution that brings renewable energy into the UK without having serious impacts on local communities and environmentally protected areas."
The targeted consultation runs from 7 July until 5 August. Consultation documents will be available online and at Saxmundham Library and Southwold Library.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for a response
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero spokesperson said:
“Every wind turbine, solar panel and cable we build helps protect families from future energy shocks.
“All projects are subject to a rigorous planning process and the views of the local community must be taken into account.”