This page contains various items of information relating to Infrastructure projects which the Parish Council believes impacts residents of Bramfield and / or Thorington Villages
Notes from the meeting attended by Chair of Bramfield & Thorington Parish Council Cllr. Hughes
Notes from the meeting attended by Chair of Bramfield & Thorington Parish Council Cllr. Hughes
Bramfield and Thorington Parish Council wish to register their objections to the proposal for the LionLink project in the strongest terms.
The Landfall site
The proposed landfall site of Walberswick and in particular the site at Manor Field with its close proximity to a significant number of residential properties and protected habitats would seem to be totally inappropriate. There seems to be a total lack of recognition by NGV as to the sensitive nature of the whole of Walberswick and its surrounding area, nor to the impacts upon the residents of this historic and peaceful village.
In particular the proposed 12 hour working days, 7 days a week for possibly 2 years. On top of this within this proposed schedule there are likely to be 40 days of 24 hours a day HDD drilling. No mitigations have been suggested.
Where are the studies to show the impacts of these actions upon the village and the environment as a whole? To imagine that HDD drilling will not have an impact on the sensitive environment around Walberswick would seem very unrealistic. Therefore, we do not accept the assurances given by NGV concerning the ‘mitigation’ on human and environmental receptors adjacent to the landfall site. There would also need to be seasonal constraints needed for the various species, some of which are rare, both on and offshore. Insufficient detail has been provided within the PEIR to allow a full appreciation of the proposals suggested and as such the consultation process would therefore be invalid.
Traffic/Transport
The selection of Walberswick as the landfall site for LionLink by NGV would seem to be a strange one especially considering that there is only one narrow and windy route in and out of the village (B1387)
As the village is a mix of high-end tourist destination and a significant number of elderly, retired citizens, then the B1387 becomes a very important route throughout the year. Any mitigation suggested by NGV in order to accommodate the HGVs necessary for this project would have an immediate and devasting impact on the people who live here. Access to hospital services in the East Suffolk Coastal region are already at a considerable distance from the locality and any delays/issues caused by the infrastructure projects could have serious delays in treatment for the elderly and vulnerable.
There are insufficient details regarding routes, size of vehicles, noise and vibration linked to the vehicles nor on the delicate environment of Walberswick and its surrounding environment.
Moving away from the B1387 itself and considering the road network around this area, then insufficient consideration has been made on the impacts likely to occur. The impact of Sizewell C project is already showing a devastating impact on the local area. The HGVs currently moving North and South on the A12 not only are causing congestion in what was previously a quiet and tranquil area but are causing considerable damage in terms of potholes and the undercutting of the verges on narrow roads. Local people are already starting to avoid using the A12 and are using roads such as the B1125 through Westleton as rat runs. The LionLink proposal is only going to add to the pressures felt by the local communities all through what is known as the ‘Heritage Coast’
Noise, Light, Vibration and Dust
Tourists and residents have appreciated the quiet and peaceful nature of the Heritage Coast and have enjoyed the natural environment and the significant numbers of birds, mammals, invertebrates and reptiles to be found. The proposed works by NGV will only have a significant impact upon the wildlife and peace in the area. Walberswick itself is in an exposed part of the coastline and onshore winds already cause dust during hot spells in the summer. Add to this the dust caused by the infrastructure project and living here will be very unpleasant.
Dark skies are a key characteristic of the area and there is no indication of the impact of lighting at night on the environment. This will impact both wildlife and the residents.
Footpath Closures
LionLink make mention of temporary diversions to public rights of way within the village of Walberswick. As these footpaths are a major part of the attractions within Walberswick for tourists and residents alike then this will prove to be a major issue. If in an eight-month period of May to December these paths were used by 147,447 people who enjoy the walks, then this will have significant impacts, and serious mitigations will need to be considered.
Age as a protected characteristic
Walberswick has a very high demographic of 43% of the population being over 65. This is similar to many of the towns and villages in the near vicinity to Walberswick where there are many people who have retired to the area. Both Walberswick Parish Council and WALL (Walberswick Against LionLink) have made excellent responses on this particular issue. We make the point that these infrastructure problems are having an impact on all of the towns and villages in the area who have similarly high demographics.
Ecology
NGV appear not have made sufficient analysis of the environmental aspects that are particular to Walberswick and the surrounding areas. Surveys currently undertaken by NGV fail to recognise the diversity of species within the local area. Local experience has shown that very often in planning applications that the number and presence of protected species are often underestimated. Again, both Walberswick Parish Council and WALL make convincing arguments on this issue. It must be remembered that the Heritage Coast exists in the main because of the lack of disturbance and industrial development in the area. The species that exist whether mammal, invertebrate, marine, reptile and botanical are interdependent, and that noise, vibration, dust and light will irretrievably damage these valuable genera.
Archaeological and Historic Remains
As mentioned previously people are attracted to live and visit this area because of its ‘untouched’ nature. There have been little commercial and industrial developments over the last 500 years within the Heritage Coast area and in particular Walberswick. Most of the communities in this area have changed little for many hundreds of years. East Anglia was an important trading area in the Medieval Period, and this was especially so for Walberswick. Little assessment by NGV concerning this and the proposed route will undoubtedly disturb key historical sites.
The Case Against LionLink
We object and reject these proposals because there is insufficient evidence of economic advantage to the current route. There would seem to be no proper assessment of alternative options like offshore grids or brownfield sites such as the Isle of Grain or Bradwell. The sheer number of infrastructure projects within the East Suffolk area is overwhelming already without SeaLink and LionLink and other such proposals. More traffic, disruption, stress and long-term damage to a fragile and seriously eroding coastline is already having an impact on an area heavily dependent on tourism.
We also reject the proposals for the huge converter stations and the expansion of the already overlarge Kiln Lane Substation. The industrial appearance of these is totally out of keeping with the area.
Cumulative Impact
We object to the proposals by NGV in their PEIR as no consideration has been made as to the cumulative impacts of all the energy projects affecting the Suffolk coastline including Sizewell C, EA1N, EA2, Sealink and the proposed water reservoirs and pipelines for Sizewell C.
Considerations must be given to a joined-up mitigation plan even though this precious area is already overloaded with major energy projects.
At the Parish Council Meeting on 13th October 2025 a presentation by Sizewell C employees was given followed by a Q & A session involving members of the public.
Click here to open the Presentation (PDF format in new window). Below is the follow up email received answering some of the points made in the meeting.
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The meeting had some additional questions regarding the planning application and of course the transport/ HGV use of the village concerns.
I have spoken with the leads and can reiterate that the A144 is not a prescribed route for HGVs attending the SZC sites. I will caveat that with there is an exception with deliveries being made to the Halesworth Fen Meadow development. I can confirm that the tracking system has identified 19 HGVs that have delivered to the site to date since works started at Halesworth. Once again, I would ask that the parish council encourage the community to report any vehicle that they suspect is working on behalf of SZC not following the designated route to us at the information office to be investigated.
Regarding the accommodation at High Lodge specifically, I can confirm the following:-
I think it is worth mentioning that the High Lodge site had planning permission for 12-month occupancy (not the 10 months that I stated). However, the limit was previously set for a maximum of 56-night bookings, this will revert once the site returns to a leisure facility.
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At a meeting with Darsham Parish Council, Westleton PC, Blythborough and Hinton PC and the Chair of Bramfield & THorington, it was announced that Sizewell C had bought land at High Lodge, Hinton with the intention of putting 140 lodges to house workers for the Sizewell development. Whilst Sizewell C had consulted with Darsham PC alone, Darsham PC felt it was only fair to involve all of the councils who would be affected by the development. It was decided that each council would table two questions at the Sizewell C Northern transport forum held in August.
As Bramfield and Thorington will be directly affected by the development at High Lodge it was agreed that we would ask questions regarding the junction of the A12 and the A144, the A144 through Bramfield and the junction of the A12 and Hinton Road.
It is intended to house 680 workers at High Lodge with parking for 400 cars. The questions asked by Bramfield and Thorington PC looked at the proposed mitigations by Sizewell C at each of these junctions. Both junctions are notorious for accidents and the proposed increase in vehicles for the workers, ancillary staff needed to operate the site and delivery vehicles into Hinton will increase existing problems. The workers will need to use the facilities offered by Halesworth (supermarkets, take-aways, pharmacies etc) and therefore even more traffic will be using the A144 through Bramfield.
It was pointed out to Sizewell C that their intended alterations to the junction of the A144 and the A12 (designed before the purchase of High Lodge) were insufficient and that the PC was not happy with the current plans.
Bramfield and Thorington PC were offered a private meeting with Sizewell C at the end of August that Councillor Hughes attended. This provided an opportunity to outline our concerns and hopefully those concerns will be addressed by Sizewell C, Suffolk County Council and East Suffolk District Council.
