CLA says Severn barrage means land owners will lose out

The CLA said today that some landowners stand to have their land taken away from them as a result of a plan to create a Severn barrage.

The rural economy experts said that, under current proposals, areas of farmland around the River Severn could be flooded, and low-lying land would be compulsorily purchased in other areas as far afield as East Anglia to compensate for the loss of wildlife habitat.

CLA Deputy President William Worsley said: "Good quality land - even if low-lying - needs to be maintained for food production and the habitats it currently provides. Food and Environmental Security (FES) is a key issue for the future.

"Large scale compulsory purchase – perhaps as much as 100,000 hectares - would be a shocking consequence of the proposed Severn barrage. Land owners who lose large tracts of their land because of this may well be unable to produce food as effectively on what remains - something that happened with the Cardiff Bay Barrage.

"Generations have fought to keep the water away from their land. It would go against everything they have done for centuries to make sure their land is dry and productive."

The CLA Deputy President added: "Many species whose numbers are in decline, including salmon and eels, could be denied access up the Severn which would have an immense impact on their numbers.

"We have argued that while the Severn’s renewable tidal energy should be captured, it should be done in a way that avoids large scale flooding of habitat and the blocking of migratory routes for fish."