Prof Simon Haslett, Head of Geography at Bath Spa University has been talking to the Gloucester Citizen and has this to say:

Canadian scientists are urging the British Government not to go ahead with the Severn Barrage. They have warned it could cause major environmental damage and waste millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money.

Concerns about the planned Severn Barrage came to light at a major environmental summit in Canada.

Bath Spa University scientist Prof Simon Haslett, who spoke at the conference, says Canadian scientists are alarmed about the scheme from their own experience of harnessing tidal power.

The head of geography in Bath Spa’s School of Science and the Environment is warning that Britain should not make the same mistakes.

Prof Haslett gave a briefing on the Government’s proposal to build a barrage across the Severn Estuary at the annual conference of the Atlantic Geoscience Society in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

His presentation was part of a special session on Canada’s own experiment with tidal power in the Bay of Fundy.

This has the highest tidal range in the world, even higher than the Severn Estuary.

But Canadian experts at the conference told him the Bay of Fundy scheme had caused serious environmental damage and they were shocked that a Severn Barrage was even being considered.

Prof Haslett said: “The Canadians have been experimenting with tidal power generation in the Bay of Fundy for many years, building a barrage across one of its tributaries as long ago as 1984.

“The consequences have convinced them that building a barrage is inefficient, has many undesirable environmental impacts and is unsightly.

“The UK needs to learn from their experience and not make the same mistakes.

“For the Canadians the idea of a barrage is now history and doesn’t even get raised as an option during tidal power debates.

“It’s so old that they are amazed the UK is even considering it.

“The Canadians now only use turbines that are placed in the tidal stream, so that electricity is generated both on the falling and rising tide.

“Some turbines are submerged on the seabed, so you can’t even see them - a bit like undersea wind farms.”

Prof Haslett has researched and written extensively on the Severn Estuary over the past 10 years.

“If the Canadians are right, we shouldn’t even waste any time and millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money considering a barrage,” he said.