Dear Sir/Madam, I am the Kent County Councillor for Ramsgate, I have represented the Ramsgate Division since May 2017. The division is comprised of 7 wards, and 43,000 people. Many people have contacted me across the division and from Pegwell Bay Area, with deeply held concerns about this project and the damage and disruption it will cause. It will damage and impair the local environment, our biodiversity, including rare birds, animals and plants, it will degrade the amenities of the beach, the foreshore and the sea. The build phase which will continue until at least 2030, this will negatively impact and blight the lives of those living closest to the development. These views, are I repeat, deeply held and to date I have not received a sufficiently detailed or robust response that allays my concerns. I am also concerned that the project may overrun. Key concerns:- 1. The volume of traffic bringing in building materials including aggregates will be a negative impact on peoples health and well-being. What will be done to ameliorate this? 2. How will the integrity and habitat of the Marshes, the SSSI, the Minster Stream and the River Stour be protected and safeguarded for the future? What percentage of the overall budget has been ring-fenced for these vital protections? 3. With regard to safeguarding the biodiversity the mitigation must occur before any building or further development of supporting infrastructure. Please demonstrate how you intend to ensure this? Kind regards Cllr Karen Constantine.

Dear Karen Thank you for your email. The proposed application for the Sea Link Project is currently at the Pre-application stage of the Planning Act 2008 process. Further information about the process can be found in the link below to the National Infrastructure Planning website: The stages of the NSIP process and how you can have your say. The Planning Inspectorate is unable to consider representations about the merits of any application until it has been submitted and accepted for Examination. As the application has not yet been formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate your first point of contact should be the developer (National Grid), and we would encourage you to contact them directly: Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0808 134 9569 Post: Freepost SEA LINK It is important that the developer is made aware of your comments at the Pre-application stage to enable them to consider the points raised before finalising their proposals and submitting the application. If you have not already done so, we advise that you submit your comments to National Grid at the contact details above. Their consultation period was from 8 July - 11 August 2024 but we would still encourage you to contact the Applicant directly. Should the application be accepted for Examination you will be able to register as an Interested Party by submitting a relevant representation. This must be submitted on the ‘Registration and Relevant Representation form’ which will be made available on the project webpage of the National Infrastructure Planning website at the appropriate time. Further information about registering as an Interested Party can be found in the Planning Inspectorate’s ‘Advice Note: Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects: How to register to have your say and make a relevant representation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) You may also find it helpful to subscribe to us to receive email notifications for key events that occur after an application has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. This can be done by selecting ‘Get Updates’ on the Planning Inspectorate’s project webpage and then entering your email address: Sea Link - Project information (planninginspectorate.gov.uk). Kind regards