Hain still unchallenged on Severn Barrage lie

Ramblings has a long-standing interest in opposing the Severn Barrage which would be an ecological disaster and a monumental exploitation of Welsh natural resources by the London government. Peter Hain has come in for a grilling in particular on the Barrage, not because of any vendetta against him but because in openly supporting the proposed Cardiff-Weston Barrage over the other alternative options, he was pre-judging a supposedly neutral and arms-length consultation process. It is encouraging to read that environmental groups are now pulling Hain up on his colonial-governor style grandstanding over this issue.

When the issue at stake is as important as the natural environment of the southern Welsh coastline, not to mention the allocation of scarce resources, then it is essential that the consultation itself is fair and balanced, and involves prominent Welsh input. So far this has obviously not been the case, with the Welsh Government taking a feeble position and admitting that Ministers in London will have the final say, even though several of the proposed projects are entirely in Welsh waters. The case for involving the Westminster government in the Severn tidal energy study is clear, as any outcome will involve co-operation between the Welsh and UK governments. But the final decision, if it is to deliver a project in Wales, should be taken in our own Assembly. After all, our Assembly Members have years of familiarity with proposals for tidal energy projects in the Severn. It is they (and Plaid Cymru in particular) who have been holding the public meetings and doing the campaigning. The only time Peter Hain turned up was to drive journalists in a boat out into the sea.

The consultation itself is an exercise costing an amount of money that makes the All Wales Convention look like spare change. It would be interesting to see what the anti-devolution brigade would make of Peter Hain overruling this consultation, seeing as they were so up in arms about the Convention. But that would be to digress. There is no quick-fix to the Estuary opportunity. Hain's Severn Barrage, the largest and most expensive option, would also take the longest to construct. By the time it was completed, other more efficient technologies may have come to fruition.

But a better reason to oppose the Barrage is the fact that its construction would alter the tide in such a way that any other tidal project in the estuary would never be possible. The Barrage would also use as much as £23bn (or as little as £15bn) worth of taxpayers money and would need to be publicly funded, including electricity generation. If such a project went ahead, it's difficult to see any other renewable energy projects getting funded in such a time of austerity. The alternative 'Shoots Barrage' on the other hand would be able to be privately financed. Though it's rare to see Welsh Ramblings arguing for private finance, this would take the burden off the taxpayer, and if we are to combat climate change then the private sector must play its part. The construction time would be quicker, and a high-speed rail link could be integrated into the smaller Shoots Barrage to replace the ailing Severn Tunnel. Despite misleading statements by some Labour MPs, there is no possibility for any kind of transport link on the Cardiff-Weston option. The Shoots Barrage would still damage significant bird habitat areas, but even the RSPB are willing to accept the Shoots Barrage as they agree that something needs to be done, and that you must be willing to take a reasonable hit to your interests in order to safeguard the planet.

Shoots would also not generate as much energy as Cardiff-Weston, but has a much better financial viability and would make a meaningful contribution to the Welsh economy with it's rail link, especially as it would almost certainly be an electrified link. It therefore does not represent the same exploitation as the Severn Barrage does, and would help generate longer lasting jobs in the Welsh economy. This is in contrast to Cardiff-Weston, which would create more construction jobs, but they would not be as closely linked to Welsh needs as would the wider spread of jobs that the rail link could bring in. On the energy point, if Shoots went ahead, other more innovative projects such as tidal lagoons could still be developed further towards the sea. If Cardiff-Weston gets built you can say goodbye to tidal lagoons or any kind of Welsh developments that might foster green skills and hi-tech jobs.

Yet Peter Hain, in the face of criticism from the environmental movement, has chosen to simply reaffirm his support for the flawed, old-fashioned and colonial Cardiff-Weston option. Like many London politicians he seems to be supporting it simply as a megalith that will awe voters. Notably the Welsh media has still not challenged him on the lie or blunder he told last month when he claimed that the Cardiff-Weston Barrage could be privately financed. His own Government has ruled this out, yet the Welsh media still hasn't pulled him up on it. This means that ordinary people who don't read blogs or follow politics may have read his comments and may now be under the illusion that they won't have to pay for the Severn Barrage out of their taxes. How convenient, just ahead of a Westminster Election.