Dear Resident,
I wanted to write to you to provide you with an update regarding the AQUIND Interconnector following our previous correspondence.
Unfortunately, the High Court has decided to quash the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s decision to refuse development consent for the AQUIND interconnector. This means that the Secretary of State will need to take the decision again. It does not mean that his decision was the wrong one, just that the process wasn’t correct.
You can view the Judgement Summary here: Judgment summary KL 24-01-23
This ruling is disappointing, but I remain confident that the Secretary of State’s original decision should still stand. It is not the case that the Court has told the Secretary of State what the decision must be.
I, along with many others, will be making the case again why this project should be refused as well as help demonstrate the strength of feeling the people of Portsmouth have towards this project. It is not just bad for Portsmouth and the local area, but also for the whole of the UK. It does not help our energy resilience; in fact, it weakens it. There are many other concerns over the project which includes a telecommunications cable.
I remain confident that this unwanted and unnecessary project will never happen. It is hard to imagine why any investor would want to be associated with it, and I believe the Government’s decision was the right one. We stand united as Members of Parliament, Councillors, the Local Authority and residents of Portsmouth.
I will, as always, continue to keep you updated on the progress of the Secretary of State’s decision regarding AQUIND.
Sincerely,
Penny Mordaunt MP