£650m barrage vision unveiled (From This is The West Country)

£650m barrage vision unveiled

8:59am Thursday 16th March 2006

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A FUTURISTIC £650million plan to build a barrage from Brean Down to Wales, complete with 12 floating islands of executive homes and power-generating turbines was revealed this week.

The design, which would change the face of Sedgemoor forever, has been submitted to Sedgemoor District Council by Neath businessman Gareth Woodham, who has already been asked to deliver a comprehensive presentation after Easter.

If the plans are granted, a 1,000 metre wide barrage could be built from the north shoreline of Lavernock to the southern side of Brean Down, containing a road and light railway.

Severn Barrage schemes have circulated for over 80 years with no clear progress, but the Welsh entrepreneur believes his plans stand a good chance of going ahead.

"I looked at it all and realised it wasn't a planning application so I decided the only way forward was to place a joint one with Sedgemoor District Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council," he told the Weekly News.

"I want to talk to the members of the local authority and find out the next step. We have just done a ballpark figure for it and we are looking at £650million as a starting point."

Plans submitted to the council suggest the scheme could take up to 20 years to build and would transform the current Severn River into the Severn Lake - a name already trademarked by Mr Woodham.

Four marinas would be sited on the eastern side of the lake with the northern administered from Wales and southern from Sedgemoor. The two middle harbours would be let privately.

He said: "It all depends on the planners and what they will and won't allow. I think realistically the planning will be at least 70% of the total time."

Doug Bamsey, corporate director of the district council, said the proposals submitted by Mr Woodham had been very broad.

He said: "As you might imagine, this kind of type of information needs extensive research. It's a very, very big project so there is a way to go - I am sure - before we get the level of detail we need in."

"A lot of the area is not within Sedgemoor District Council or the Vale of Glamorgan, so it's not that straightforward."

The plans say the barrage would begin at Brean Down, which is land currently owned by the National Trust.

Spokesman Alex Brannen said the area had been designated as a Special Site of Scientific Interest and Scheduled Ancient Monument.

"Brean Down was gifted to the National Trust in 1954 for the benefit of the nation, for ever," he said.

"As guardians of Brean Down, the National Trust would take a very keen interest in any plans which might potentially impact on this special place."

But Mr Woodham said he would be ready for any potential criticism levelled at his plans to revolutionise the Bristol Channel.

"I expect the NIMBYs are already lining up, but the thing is that the friends of the earth can't have it both ways," he said.

"They can't be screaming for clean energy and yet want to save 40 ducks. I see many benefits for Burnham from this being there."

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