MORE than 600 of West Somerset’s 35,000 population gave feedback in a public consultation exercise held by the team behind a proposed £11 billion tidal lagoon project, with 63.1 per cent of them supporting it.

West Somerset Lagoon Ltd (WSL) chief executive Aidan Clegg said: “I would like to thank all members of the public who contributed to this valuable consultation.

“While it is early days, we are pleased that a significant proportion of respondents saw the opportunities for West Somerset and for the UK of harnessing the clean power available from the world’s second largest tidal range in the Bristol Channel, as well as the regeneration benefits that would accompany such a project.

“We understand respondents' concerns about the potential impact on traffic and will work with Somerset Council to mitigate these.”

The proposed West Somerset Lagoon showing the eastern landfall with North Hill and Minehead beyond
The proposed West Somerset Lagoon showing the eastern landfall with North Hill and Minehead beyond (Chris Binnie)

People also showed broad support for proposed amenities recorded in a draft masterplan for the Minehead end of the 14-mile tidal barrier which would stretch in an arc to Watchet

The WSL plan proposes 125 underwater turbines driven by the tide and producing a maximum 2.5GW electricity output, enough to power up to two million homes.

A walking and cycling track is shown on top of the curved barrier, and there could also be a 300-berth water sports marina, a lido, and an observation tower.

There was potential for businesses to grow oysters and mussels, for floating solar panel arrays, and a coastal amphitheatre to boost the local economy, while AI data centres could also be fitted in the barrier to take advantage of sea water cooling.

Of the people giving feedback, 92 per cent said they believed there would be community benefits from the project.

An observation tower would give views over a marina and other infrastructure proposed as part of a West Somerset Tidal Lagoon.
An observation tower would give views over a marina and other infrastructure proposed as part of a West Somerset Tidal Lagoon. (WSL)

Clean, renewable energy and coastal protection ranked as the highest perceived benefits, followed by job creation.

There was particular support for the idea of a ferry service to Wales, a new promenade, and ‘marine diversity islands’.

However, there was also significant concern expressed over the potential traffic impacts on West Somerset roads and communities during any construction period, with 44 per cent of people saying they were either ‘very concerned’ or ‘concerned’.

The concern was sharpest in the two areas where opposition was most concentrated, with more than a third of the 235 respondents from Minehead and about a quarter of Watchet’s 103 included in those most opposed to the project on traffic grounds.

The most common requests were for improvements to the A39 between Minehead and Bridgwater and a direct rail link between Minehead and Taunton.

The consultation was open to the public from January 16 to April 2 and received a total of 625 responses.

Public realm and cultural offerings feature heavily in the West Somerset Tidal Lagoon plans.
Public realm and cultural offerings feature heavily in the West Somerset Tidal Lagoon plans. (WSL)

A copy of the report summarising the findings from the consultation can be found online.

West Somerset MP Rachel Gilmour, who has backed the plans said: “I am absolutely delighted constituents have had the opportunity to feed in their thoughts through the consultation.

“This is an ongoing process, and nothing will happen without continuous consultation.

“I believe the project represents a transformative vision for the future of West Somerset.”