THE chief executive of the Environment Agency has put her finger on the problem with the Severn Barrage in warning of the threat it poses to the impact on wildlife. However, if we look at the whole picture, the mudflats used by migrating birds are threat

THE chief executive of the Environment Agency has put her finger on the problem with the Severn Barrage in warning of the threat it poses to the impact on wildlife. However, if we look at the whole picture, the mudflats used by migrating birds are threatened directly by rising sea levels, which will put all flat lands around the Severn Estuary under water. One of the great unsung virtues of the barrage is its ability to act as a huge sea defence, protecting not just the mudflats and low lying, fertile agricultural land, but also the towns and cities of Weston, Cardiff, Newport and Gloucester. It will also protect the nuclear power stations of Oldbury, Berkely and even Hinkley from disastrous flooding. It is this long term flood protection factor which clinches the case for the Severn Barrage.DR RICHARD LAWSON - Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate