Places features

What do you think about the introduction of a Severn barrage?

Haddy Richards age 10
I think that the Barrage is a good idea because it is very good for the enviroment. I know that many lovely birds will be killed, but I think it is better than Global Warming killing us.Thank You. xx

Russ
Grow up, look at things from a wider perspective and realise that the increase in sea level from global warming will cause far more damage than a severn barrage ever will. Even if everyone around the world were to cut every emission full stop, there is still enough CO2 in the atmosphere to cause all this damage anyway.What we can do is try to not make things any worse by reducing emissions in the hope that it will reduce the inevitable devastation.If you want more reasons for a Severn Barrage then look at our unemployment rate. An enormous project like this will provide more money to our economy, employ thousands and stimulate the failing construction industry.

Lucy Barnes
hmmmm im not really sure. Surely in the long term it would be saving more wildlife from climate change, than would be harmed in its making?

ayla
wildlife is important,they might get hurt in the turbines when they r swimming

Lucy
i think it is a good idea and we could build our way out of deppression the mud flats would also make more jobs finding them. and if none them they can make new mud flats.

Martin Barnes
The wildlife aspect is important and we must get it right for future generations of wildlife and humans.The commercial impact of building a brick wall at the end of this important commercial water way is measured in many job losses both in England and Wales.Green lobbyists have for years pushed for the adoption of water transport to remove freight from the road network, now that industry has started to develop a network of water transport solutions, the Highways Agency has developed a water first policy for the largest abnormal loads, and now that the freight transport industry is embracing change to meet the consumer's demands, the proposed barrage will restrict the number of ships able to transit the Severn estuaryHarness the power of the tidal flow - but kindly use the latest advanced methods that allow industry to continue providing employment in the region.

Derek Snow, Waterproofing/Waterstops Technologist
Briefly, I designed all the waterstop layouts/usage for the several Barrages in (West)Pakistan for Coode & Ptnrs in the '60s while in the Technical Service Deptmt of Expandite Ltd: I live in Falmouth & wish to offer my experience in the designs as I believe in this.

J Edwards
Why are underwater turbines not on the agenda?

Robyn
I think it would harm the enviroment and sea creaturs like if they were swimming in the sea they could go by the turbine and chopped up

Rowan
I think it is the worst idea in history because it will kill widlife, it will kill sea creatures and that is not nice destroying animals like that also all those birds that deserve to live and we can make power by a safer way instead of killing!!!

hanna
we do need like loads more electricity but animals and fish will die

griff
Great idea. Would create a tremendous leisure resource as well as the electricity generated

Rupert Armstrong Evans
A large fixed barrage is not the only option. The 'Tidal Power Reef' (one of the ten schemes being considered) is environmentally benign and won't kill fish or birds, and yet generate as much or more power than the Cardiff - Weston project. In my opinion it's important that we look at and discuss all the options.

tracie harper
for the price of building what is effectivley a glorified third severn crossing the goverment could furnish every hoome in wales and the west country with solar panels and domestic turbines which would generate more energy than the barrage could. however this will not happen as then of coutrse the surplus energy generated is in the hands of the consumers who would then sell it back to the national grid as happens in many european countries who's goverments are not in the thrall of the oil and gas industries.

neil law
The comparison with La Rance is spurious and disingenuous. The river which feeds into that barrage is a very low silt environment. It's about time someone publicised the fate of the Petitcodiac Estuary after the construction of the Moncton barrage. The whole estuary downstream..OUTSIDE the barrage, silted up. They are now looking at the vast expense of removing the structure. If you extrapolate that to the Severn Estuary, South Wales,Somerset and parts of North Devon would cease to be coastal areas,and may well be MORE prone to flooding. The Somerset and Gwent levels would be particuarly vulnerable. And of course, with that degree of siltation, there would be precious little power being generated.

abi baker
i think it it s bad thing because it would kill lots of animals! :(

M. Gordon
A great idea and good use of the resource available. As for the environmental impacts it has been proved that a barrage will promote further life and increase biodiversity due to higher oxygen levels and reduced sediment in the water. There will be fish gates so only a small number of fish would be lost due to the barrage. Keep the bore and have a flooded city where are peoples priorities

Zinga
I have no confidence in Government plans such as this. No doubt a lot of benefit will go to those involved in building it and the profit from selling power but who is going to pay for the extra flooding and misery to every living thing in the area.I would have a lot more time for people if when you see them moaning about heating their home and factories they appear to be dressed for a summer day in the midst of winter...We just have to be less SELFISH.

jack
the fish might die i like fishing please dont make it i am doing the barrage as c/w at school

Senua
Building this barrage would just show how arrogant human kind is.How dare we destroy an entire environment because we messed up in the first place.There are other less damaging ways to produce power, this idea I suspect is for the profit of a few.And if it is built it'll only produce 5% of the uk's energy needs, just 5%. Thats hardly anything for all that destruction that this project will cause.

john belcher
Recalling the flood history of the Severn Estuary over the centuries, it would be yet another environmental disaster and it won't be us who suffer, but future generations. But by the ignorant,closed mind attitudes I've read so far by Gavin and others, people won't care until it is too late (once again).

Cieran
You can build the barrage because if there was hurricane coming to us there could of been a huge tidal wave coming towards Gloucester and some other towns, it is also good to use tidal energy so build wind turbines under the bridge to give us electricity, put a road on top of the bridge ok do not charge us for going over the bridge please thankyou

Mark, Minsterworth, Gloucestershire
I think that there is a tremendous untapped energy resource in the tidal flows around the coast of the UK. I'm not convinced that a barrage across the Severn is the best way to capture this resource. There are cheaper, easier, quicker solutions available. Many companies are working on designs for submersible turbines. Some are floating devices. Others sit on the sea bed. We should put more into this technology. I believe the environmental impact would also be much reduced.

Marilyn Bolger
Sam Watkins is really out to lunch saying it will stop global warming and help greenhouse gases, leave the Severn ALONE

Gavin
Yes! build it! and yes put a road across the top! a practical solution that would work for a change. Would say that we would not lose the Bore because it would be open when the tide is coming in and then shuts when the tide if going out.

Paul
Yes I am all for it. The current proposal would generate enough power to supply 1/20th of the whole of ENGLANDS demand. It makes good sense to me. We also need more wind turbines. Tidal and wind power or scary nuclear? I know which I would go for every time.

D Theedam
''seeificareBuild it it will be great put a road across the top with no toll dont let the NIMBY'S win who cares about surfing a small minority has for salmon nature as a way of looking after its self it has done for years.''yes, you are probably right....and while we are at it we could cover the rest of anything green in concrete....much better... :(

richard wynn
At the mouth of Strangford L in N.I. they have underwater turbines which are seated on the bed of the river - no need for a barrage at all! Has this been investigated for the Severn at all?

seeificare
Build it it will be great put a road across the top with no toll dont let the NIMBY'S win who cares about surfing a small minority has for salmon nature as a way of looking after its self it has done for years.

sam watkins, 17
The establihment of the severn barrage is an extremely economical idea, it will help to stop global warming and reduce the speed of the greenhouse effect, making the whole united kingdom "greener". Although, around the severn estuary there is much heritage, local modern history, and which i prize most of all ancient history hidden beeath the bed of the estuary in the clay. I have found many artifacts myself since i was young. I fear that with establishment of the barrage this will be lost, along with the lave net fisherman (an age old tradition) and the wildlife. The choice we have to make is wheather we treasure the past more than the future. The future is currently most in danger and i feel we need to protect it more than the heritage, wildlife and hstory of the river severn. Therefore i believe that with careful management the barrage should go ahead.

glenys
All ideas should be considered.Questions to ask are-Who is pushing to have the barrage?Who will make more money from the use of more electic?Could we all(including motorways and factories )not cut back on use of lights?Do we need our roads lit up like Christmas trees all night?I feel quite sure that if ther was a cut back we would not need such drastic measures as a barrage,

mea
wot happens with the salmon?

Duke Theedam
...yeah, was wondering about that...and end to river surfing ???

Shaun Moore
NO! If we have the barrage we are going to lose the Bore!

Ray Sherman
My concern is the potential for more flooding a barrage would create. It seems to me that the worst flooding ocuurs when the tides are small to medium because the river does not completely empty. It empties when the tides are big ones; thus allowing flood waters furthers up river to escape. A barrage would mean that the tidal reaches would never empty.