The coalition Government has responded to a damning report by the Parliamentary Energy and Climate Change Committee into the latest proposal for a Severn barrage by largely agreeing that the plans did not stack up in economic terms neither could it credibly demonstrate that it could mitigate sufficiently the damage it would cause to the environment or the local economy. Here's more on the story.
For me a case of déjà vu.
Twenty years ago the plans for a similar barrage across the Mersey collapsed under similar circumstances.
The cycle of proposal – excitement – appraisal – collapse is now firmly established as the course of such proposals. And it is a pattern that is consistent across both the Mersey and the Severn and across a number (at least 5) distinct proposals. - a lesson that should now be learned.
Will this be the last? We hope so, but history indicates that somewhere out there is another grandiose proposal that will suck time and energy from all involved, divert attention from more sustainable options of harnessing tidal energy and then the cycle will start again.
The Severn and its wildlife is safer today – fantastic news. But a further legacy of the apparent death of the Severn Barrage idea could be renewed effort in developing technology that can harness the energy of the tides in ways that don’t devastate the natural environment – a topic we will return to.
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