00:00Home to rare farmland birds, protected wildlife and now, potentially, a National Energy Converter
00:07Station. Construction on Minster Marshes is part of the National Grid's Sea Link Plan
00:13to create an undersea electricity link between Kent and Suffolk. John Rothman, who lives
00:19next to the marshes, isn't happy about the proposals.
00:23Like any development of that sort, when you're building on farmland and what is probably
00:29a nature reserve of one sort or another, it can never be good. It's all about money,
00:34it's never about anything else.
00:36So right behind me here on Minster Marshes, you can see the proposed site for the converter
00:41station and what seems to be two bridges being built, one on each side of the site connecting
00:47it to the surrounding marshes. The proposed location sits within 20 metres of a site of
00:53special scientific interest, a status given to areas valuable for their wildlife, plants
00:59or the make-up of the land. And local campaign group Save Minster Marshes are particularly
01:05concerned about the impact on the wildlife. It's the most environmentally damaging site
01:10out of any of them. You know, there's just hundreds and hundreds of different species of birds. There's
01:15lots of schedule one birds like long-eared owls and marsh harriers. I mean, water voles, beavers,
01:24you name it. Fears about what the current work at the site could mean have even reached parliament.
01:30Can I direct his attention to the predatory activities of another private company, National Grid,
01:38who are seeking to pre-empt the construction of a station on the Minster Marshes.
01:48The National Grid say they are developing the Sea Link proposals responsibly, accounting for the
01:53local environment and community feedback. In a statement, they said the current work near Minster
01:58is limited to archaeological excavation and other early investigative activity, which is approved by the
02:05local authority. They added that any permanent infrastructure would still need development
02:09consent from the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero will
02:15announce her decision at the end of October. And in a statement, her department said that they are
02:21reversing decades of underinvestments to upgrade the grid, building an energy system that can bring down
02:26bills for good. They added that all projects are subject to a rigorous planning process,
02:31process, in which the views and interests of the local community are considered.
02:36Residents and MPs have just under eight weeks before they find out about the future of Thanet's
02:42Minster Marshes. Sophie Denny for KMTV in Thanet.
