FURY OVER SEVERN RIVER BARRAGE

Good morning Ian;

The idea of a Severn barrage has been a bone of contention ever since it was first muted and as a person who lives on the Severn estuary I can well understand why. Up until the 60's the Severn was used by ships to gain access to the Gloucester canal at Sharpness and Lydney itself, where I live, was still a 'port,' the river was dredged constantly but when the rail bridge over the river was struck and demolished sea traffic went into decline and eventually ceased altogether along with the dredging

The amount of silt that is in the estuary now, and clearly visible when the tide is out. has to be seen to be believed (you can actually walk across the Severn in places at low tide) and this would of course increase dramatically were a barrage to be built. The severe effects of a barrage on the river, the towns along it, to say nothing of the catastrophic impact on wildlife was the reason why it was originally seen as too bigger price to pay for any benefit that may be gained.

All those good reasons go out of the window of course when the desire for "natural" power override the practical and sensible reasons not to do it. Were a barrage to be built it would be nothing short of a disaster for the river Severn and all the wildlife that lives on it but will they listen to common sense? Not on your life, the idiots that live in Westminster will not be affected one iota and therefore the need to be seen as doing their bit for the greens will result in their total disregard for the calamitous results of their actions.

Where is Guy Fawkes when you need him eh!

The Severn is a huge potential energy asset for the UK, one of very few such tidal funnels worldwide. It could provide 5% of our national energy needs. Now I'm a Cardiff boy born and bred (though long moved elsewhere). I fished from Penarth pier, watched waders on the estuary between Newport and Cardiff, and scattered my father's ashes at Lavernock Point where we bass fished when I was small. So I'm emotionally tied to the place, believe me.

There are multiple proposals, including lagoons and a floating reef, that would be less dramatic in their environmental effect than a barrage. Given our undoubtedly serious predicament with regard to climate change, addressing the issues positively is the best way we can all achieve a compromise that meets all needs as best it can, not sniping at politicians who are doing their best, and are certainly not idiots.

There was Welsh guy on radio 2 yesterday saying there was money to be made from silt,` and the equipment was available to dredge it.

It would seem that environmental issues prevent it's removal!

Catch 22 perhaps?

But what about the Severn bore ?

And I don't mean the people posting on here (myself excluded /forum/smilies/embarassed_smiley.gif - and that's Evan bore, not Severn.... ).

Isn't it almost unique in the world and worthy of SSSI designation + World Heritage site classification, and all the rest.... ?

Can't see how they'd get over that one in any proper planning enquiry.

I found a discussion document on good old Google, but like most of these documents it raises more questions that it tries to answer.

http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file43809.pdf

I read about this in the Big Issue and Peter Hain said that the argument about the enviormentis flawedas the severn is dying the number of birds is down due to lack of fish.

Xplorer1 do you mean you actually know an MP that isn't an idiot? Good heavens! You will be telling me next they are worth their cost!

Nature has made the Severn estuary the way it is, nature has designed the wildlife that the Severn estuary supports including all the insects, plants and micro organisms that it contains and to my mind she has done the perfect job that we have come to expect from Nature. Any problems the Severn has is as a result of mans interference and to interfere further will only result in further and even bigger problems. I don't need an idiot MP to tell me that a barrage will improve things or our quality of life will improve as a result because that is a complete and utter lie. Any gains we make will be temporary but the cost to the ecology of the river and the estuary will last for centuries to come, there is a price to pay for everythingand this price is far too high.

MP's don't solve problems they create them.....now where I have heard that before?

If man himself is not part of nature, what is he?

I spy someone with plans for another bit of profitable Marina development building..... *sigh*