In a week when local flood warnings have been issued, Bridgwater and Burnham-On-Sea Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Claire Sully has called on the Government to end uncertainty about funding of the Bridgwater Bay barrier project, saying it is “crucial” to ensure the protection of local residents.
A barrier has been mooted across the bay for many years and was first included in the 2014 Flood Action Plan, created in response to the catastrophic floods which hit the Somerset Levels and Moors in the winter of 2013/14.
The project was greenlit by government in 2022 as a joint development by the Environment Agency in conjunction with the Somerset Rivers Authority, Somerset Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership.
However, delays and a doubling of the cost of the project – reported now to be close to a quarter of a billion pounds – concerns Claire.
She says: “In light of the Conservatives’ willingness to jettison other capital projects that have already begun, such as the HS2 rail line, I’m calling on the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to approve the Full Business Case for the barrier – which should secure funding for it, whoever is in power after the election.”
“This is a low-lying area and it is not a question of if floods come, but when they come,” Claire added.
“The barrier scheme will protect up to 13,000 homes and 1500 businesses in the Bridgwater area. It is absolutely vital it goes ahead and delays ticking the bureaucratic boxes shouldn’t stop it pressing ahead as soon as possible.”
“We need certainty, and Defra can give us that by approving the Full Business Case and allocating cash for the project to continue and be finished.”
“The Environment Agency expects the barrier to be completed by 2027, so why is there worrying silence from the government?”
