SEN school may have to move if cable plans approved

A special educational needs (SEN) school may have to relocate if controversial plans for 90 miles (145km) of undersea electricity cables are approved, the headteacher says.

Julie Kelly, of Great Oaks Small School in Minster near Ramsgate, has said the noise from works will negatively impact their neurodiverse students and teachers.

National Grid's Sea Link project would see undersea cables coming ashore near Sandwich in Kent, and Thorpeness and Aldeburgh in Suffolk.

The company, which did not expect its plans to have a significant impact on the school, said: "We will continue to work with the school to mitigate any localised impacts and conduct additional monitoring during construction."

National Grid said its main construction traffic would also avoid Jutes Lanes to limit any disruption to the school.

Great Oaks is an independent school which serves up to 60 children with SEN aged between 11 and 19 - many with sensitivities to noisy environments.

Headteacher Ms Kelly said she was "speechless" when she first heard the National Grid's plans to build a sub station and converter station nearby.

She also raised concerns about an approved grid stability facility from Transmission Investment.

She said constant noise from drilling and extra traffic would create problems for students and interrupt learning.

She said: "Sound is really important to them as it is to myself, also being neurodiverse."

National Grid said it met with the school as part of its targeted engagement efforts in December 2024 and had been speaking to them over the past three years, having first engaged with them during its consultation in 2022.

Ms Kelly said relocation of the school could have huge implications for children who rely on familiarity and routine.

She said: "When they very first come to us it is a programme of work to getting them confident to actually come into school when they've had such horrendous times elsewhere."

Kent Wildlife Trust previously set up its Rethink Sea Link campaign calling for the National Grid to consider a different route for cables which would minimise the effect on Pegwell Bay, near Sandwich.

National Grid said it recognised the "sensitive habitats" in the area and had "studied the likely significant effects" of the project.

The planning application, which is near the end of the pre-examination stage, will next be scrutinised by the Planning Inspectorate ahead of an official decision.

A decision on the plans is expected in late 2026, National Grid says.

If approved, construction could begin in 2026 and be completed in 2031.

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.