Business Secretary Vince Cable says proposals for a Severn Barrage across the Bristol Channel will not “happen anytime soon.”
He made the comments during a visit to the Burnham-On-Sea area on Thursday with MP Tessa Munt.
Speaking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Mr Cable said: “The barrage is not going to happen anytime soon – it’s just an idea at the moment. There is no civil engineering or project to back it up, unlike Hinkley Point which is pretty certain to go ahead in the near future.”
“In Brean today, I was told there that the barrage would potentially cause quite serious problems to people along the Somerset coastline so we need to be very careful to take account of the local environment and business impacts.”
Asked for his thoughts on the Severn Lake project, which would see a barrage built between Brean Down and Lavernock Point in Wales, he said: “It is being considered in very outline terms.”
“All the original proposals are being cut back. What is being discussed is a modest proposal that gets around some of the environmental objections. The government is interested in the ideas, but we have not had detailed proposals put to us that would be supported.”
Asked whether he thinks the barrage will be built in his lifetime, he said: “It is possible, but I wouldn’t bank on it.”
