Mersey tidal barrier plans: Public consultation announced

More details have been revealed about plans to build the world's largest tidal barrier in the River Mersey.

A dam-like structure would be constructed between Wirral and Liverpool, with the possibility of cyclists and pedestrians being able to walk across it.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority believes the project could generate enough clean, predictable energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes for 120 years.

A six-week public consultation on the scheme will begin on 1 October, offering local people and organisations the chance to comment on the plans.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said initial technical work had been completed for the scheme, which could be up and running within a decade.

"The Mersey Tidal Project is one of the most challenging schemes to deliver due to the environmental, ecological and economic considerations," he said.

"But its potential to generate clean, green and predictable energy would be worth all the effort we are putting into this planning stage.

"With the launch of our first public consultation and the start of the formal planning process, Mersey Tidal Power is moving closer to reality than at any stage in our history."

Halton councillor Bill Woolfall has been a member of the city region's scrutiny committees which, over a number of years, have studied various presentations about the idea of a Mersey tidal barrier.

"There is no doubt that the Metro Mayor is confident this scheme will deliver cleaner power to the region, but I am not sure what the consequences it would be upstream of the river," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"I am not opposed to this scheme - we just need to know more. Although it has been tried in other parts of the world, it has proved to be very expensive.

"I really would like to have the same confidence as Steve as it would be a wonderful way of delivering power."

The six-week public consultation begins on 1 October.

Households in areas closest to the proposed project will receive invitations to public consultation events, with 10 events planned across the city region.

The engagement events will enable people to find out more about the project, meet the team behind it, and have their say.