South Kent Energy Park

With an anticipated generation capacity of up to 500 MW, South Kent Energy Park is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).

Planning

Energy projects with a generation capacity greater than 50 MW are classified as NSIPs. Rather than applying for planning permission from the local planning authority, e.g., the local district council, developers of NSIPs must submit an application for development consent to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS). The development consent process is set out in the Planning Act 2008.

For large-scale energy projects, such as South Kent Energy Park, PINS act on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. PINS will carry out an examination of our proposals and then make a recommendation to the Secretary of State as to whether or not to grant development consent. The Secretary of State will then make the final decision.

Though the decision to consent the project lies with the Government, Kent County Council and Folkestone and Hythe District Council remain key stakeholders and will be engaged extensively throughout the planning process, along with the relevant Parish and Town Councils.

We anticipate submitting our application to PINS at the end of 2026, with PINS’ examination, including public hearings, to follow in 2027. Subject to achieving consent, construction would start no earlier than 2029.

For more information on the development consent process and NSIPs, see the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) website.

Stakeholder and community engagement

Stakeholder and community engagement constitutes an important part of the pre-application process for NSIPs, with residents, businesses, local councils, and other stakeholders all playing an integral role. We are committed to early and ongoing engagement so that local voices can inform and influence the design process.

The development of our proposals for South Kent Energy Park will be an iterative process, and we welcome views at any time. However, before we submit our application for development consent, we will deliver at least two phases of community engagement – comprised of in-person and online events – to seek views and feedback on our proposals.

Early engagement – 12 November to 20 December 2024

We are currently holding our first stage of community engagement on our emerging proposals for South Kent Energy Park. This phase of engagement is open from 12 November to 20 December 2024 and marks the first opportunity for feedback.

Our aim during this first phase of engagement is to introduce Low Carbon and present our early-stage plans, giving you the chance to comment and share any knowledge you have to help us identify and better understand local impacts.

We would also welcome your suggestions on local schemes or projects we could support or deliver to benefit those communities closest to the South Kent Energy Park site.

For more information on this current phase of engagement, visit our How we are engaging page.

Future engagement

During the course of 2025, we will design the energy park based on the findings from our ongoing environmental and technical studies and the feedback received through early engagement. We will engage the community again when our proposals are more advacned, and we have further details to share.

We will publish our advanced proposals and, once again, invite the community to provide feedback. We will hold another series of events to present our updated proposals and show how they have changed over time. Seeking community comments on detailed proposals is a statutory requirement of the development consent process and is set out in the Planning Act 2008.

Our advanced proposals will include more information on our connection to the transmission network.

Statement of Community Consultation

Before presenting our advanced proposals for South Kent Energy Park, we will publish a Statement of Community Consultation (SoCC). Our SoCC will set out how we will engage and obtain feedback from the local community on our updated plans. Both Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Kent County Council will provide input to the SoCC.

Preliminary Environmental Information Report

To support our future engagement, we will publish a report – known as a Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) – which contains in-depth information about our updated South Kent Energy Park proposals. The PEIR (and a non-technical summary document) will be made available to stakeholders and the community via this website.

Consultation Report

When we finalise our design and submit our application, we have a duty to demonstrate how we have had regard to the comments received on our advanced proposals. Our Consultation Report, submitted as part of our application, will set out how we have taken comments into account.