Somerset Council pledges nearly £14m to Bridgwater tidal barrier

The Environment Agency (EA) has been working with the council to deliver a tidal barrier across the River Parrett between the Express Park in Bridgwater and the neighbouring village of Chilton Trinity.

The barrier will provide protection to more than 11,300 homes and more than 1,500 businesses.

The barrier is in the early stages of construction, with the project now expected to cost around £230m in light of high inflation and supply chain issues within the construction industry.

The council has now formally entered into an agreement with the EA, which will see millions of pounds from housing developments, regeneration grants and retained business rates officially being committed to the barrier project.

This in turn is likely to ensure the Treasury gives approval to the final business case for the barrier, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves expected to sign off on the matter in the autumn.

The tidal barrier was one of the major projects identified within the Somerset 20-year flood action plan, which was created in early-2014 in response to the catastrophic floods which hit the Somerset Levels and Moors in the winter of 2013/14.

The barrier will be constructed across the River Parrett between the Express Park and Chilton Trinity – with a footbridge running over the top to enable pedestrian and cycling access to both sides of the river.

The barrier will have two ‘vertical lift’ gates which can be closed to prevent water from flowing upstream during very high tides – something which would put Bridgwater and the neighbouring villages at great risk.

The barrier is in the early stages of construction. (Image: Environment Agency)

New flood defences will also be created downstream of the barrier to prevent flooding and protect numerous species, including eels and fish.

The funding agreement was formally ratified by the council’s executive committee when it convened in Taunton on August 5.

Of the £13.7m committed by the council as part of the new agreement with the EA, £9.1m is funding which it currently holds, comprising:

• £2.7m from flood defence tariffs collected from housing developers (including a sizeable contribution from the EDF campus on the A39 Bath Road)
• £2.4m from the community infrastructure levy (CIL) which is paid by housing developers – amounting to 20 per cent of all CIL payments collected from housing developments in the former Sedgemoor area up to March 2023
• £2m from the Bridgwater town deal (which will be largely spent on the new bridge across the barrier and associated active travel links near the site)
• £2m from the levelling up fund (targeted towards improving the ‘Bridgwater northern corridor’, which includes the Dunball and Cross Rifles roundabouts).

The council estimates a further £5.9m could be made available by 2028 – of which £3.9m would come from CIL and £2m from the Gravity enterprise zone investment plan (which covers the delivery of the new gigafactory).

While this would create a total contribution of £15m, it comes with the caveat that developer contributions may not come forward in a timely fashion due to delays in delivering the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station – with the £13.7m figure being a more realistic estimate of what can be contributed.

Due to the rising cost of the barrier since the first estimates were made, the council’s partnership funding has fallen as a share of the project budget, dropping from around 20 per cent of the project cost in 2014 to less than six per cent in 2024 (with the EA shouldering the additional costs).

The Bridgwater tidal barrier site, looking towards the Express Park. (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Nick Tait, the council’s service manager for place-making and projects, said he was confident that the Treasury would sign off on the barrier business case shortly in spite of Ms Reeves cancelling or reviewing other major infrastructure projects in late-July, such as the A303 tunnel near Stonehenge.

He told the committee: “We are confident that final approval will be given. It seems to sit with a lot of what the government is saying, in terms of promoting growth, unlocking jobs and houses, and delivering key infrastructure.

“The key thing is it’s a project where, effectively, early works are under way – and once final approval is given, the full-scale construction works will commence before the end of the year.”

Councillor Sarah Wakefield, portfolio holder for adult social care, said: “I’m really pleased that this project appears to be moving to the next stage.

“I see that some of the money comes from the levelling up fund, which has to be spent by March 2026.

“Are we going to be able to do that in preliminary works and so forth? Are we going to be able to get this out under this agreement?”

Mr Tait replied: “Once full funding is agreed, we ourselves can negotiate and agree a funding profile which best matches our funds.

“Developer funds can be released in 2027/28, while the levelling up funding would definitely have been committed by that stage.”

Councillor Jo Roundell Greene, assistant portfolio holder for children’s services and education strategy, questioned whether the council would have to contribute towards maintaining the barrier once the construction had been completed.

She said: “Are we going to be called upon to put forward more funding towards this? There must surely be ongoing maintenance to keep this going.

“I’m very aware of the CIL being taken off, and we could do with having that for other projects locally rather than having it all going into the barrier.”

Council leader Bill Revans said he had made similar points as a district councillor for North Petherton, adding: “I certainly have a discomfort around this which comes from those things.”

Replying to both speakers, Mr Tait said: “In terms of maintenance, that is solely the EA’s responsibility.

“This partnership agreement is all about the physical delivery of the capital scheme – we’re very clear on this.

“There is still a significant unallocated amount of CIL for the former Sedgemoor area, and we’re aware that there’s a need to invest in local education. We’ll be publishing a statement on CIL use this shortly.”

Councillor Ros Wyke, portfolio holder for economic development, planning and assets, questioned why the barrier wouldn’t be used to generate energy – which could potentially provide a future income stream for the council to fund local services.

She said: “Can you just confirm why we don’t have electricity generation on the barrier, given the significance of the tidal movement?”

Mr Tait responded: “Primarily, it is because of the nature of the river and the extremely high volumes of silt.

“There is so much material coming both down and upstream that it would detract from the fundamental requirements around flood defence.

“However, every opportunity is being made to build in other elements of sustainable design, including solar panels on the control room and other environmental initiatives like the introduction of new wetlands.”

If the Treasury gives final approval in the autumn, construction on the barrier will ramp up before Christmas, with the flood defences expected to be fully operational by mid-2027.

The council’s planning and transport policy sub-committee is expected to discuss future CIL use across the county when it meets in the autumn.