Aquind: French campaigners joining forces with Portsmouth in bid to halt controversial interconnector project

The Normandy-based campaign group, known as Non à Aquind, has hit out against the Aquind legal challenge, which overturned the UK government’s previous decision to refuse the scheme.

Proposals were laid out for an interconnector to be set up between Lovedean and Normandy – with the cable heading through Eastney and under the English Channel.

Donald Brument, president of Non à Aquind, said the project would be ‘very harmful for Normandy and its inhabitants’.

He said: ‘We hold numerous public meetings in the villages concerned by the route; the 14 mayors of these are all against the Aquind project, we have contacted all the political and administrative personalities in our region.

‘The outcome was the rejection of the Aquind project in January 2021, Aquind since that date has not taken any other action.

‘We have excellent relations with Viola Langley, co-founder of Let’s stop Aquind in England, our cooperation is constant and we always exchange all our information.

‘It goes without saying that Aquind will only be able to carry out its project with the common agreement of France and England.

‘At present, France refuses this fifth interconnection considering that the four currently in service are more than sufficient.’

The cable could potentially impact 31 French municipalities on its journey from either Pourville or Dieppe south to a substation in Barnabos – the journey would be 19 miles long.

Former president of the group, Jean Nicolas, added: ‘It requires the destruction of 12 hectares of agricultural land, one of the richest in France, and the construction of a vast processing plant with several buildings 25 metres high, 80 metres long.

‘Aquind’s target is to make money at the expense of the vital interests of populations.

‘The French government through the Préfet (local representative of the government) issued an official refusal in early 2021. All MPs from our region have rejected the project.

‘Non à Aquind and Let’s Stop Aquind have been working hand-in-hand for several months and regularly discussing news that could contribute to stopping this project.

‘We had planned to go to Portsmouth to support the association but Covid-19 crisis did not make it possible.’