National Grid 

Our role

Since 2021, Cavendish has supported all communications, consultation and stakeholder engagement activity relating to Sea Link. 

Our work has included stakeholder mapping, political engagement, consultation strategy, event delivery, digital engagement infrastructure and management of consultation communications across multiple local authorities, MPs, parish councils and community stakeholders. 

A core part of our role has been helping translate highly technical infrastructure proposals into more accessible and understandable communications for local audiences while maintaining responsiveness within a fast-moving political and media environment. 

We have also supported National Grid in monitoring and responding to evolving community sentiment, local pressure group activity and stakeholder dynamics throughout both non-statutory and statutory consultation phases. 

The challenge

As the UK accelerates grid reinforcement to support energy security and net zero ambitions, nationally significant energy infrastructure projects are increasingly operating within highly contested political and community environments. 

For National Grid, proposals for Sea Link — a major new subsea electricity connection between Suffolk and Kent — required engagement across communities experiencing growing pressure from multiple energy infrastructure projects and heightened scrutiny around the future shape of the electricity network. 

The project needed to maintain effective stakeholder engagement and confidence across a complex environment shaped by organised opposition, evolving political dynamics and extensive Development Consent Order consultation requirements.