General Discussion

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-26447005

I wonder how much a breakwater and other flood defences for down here will come in at?

I think £300m was quoted somewhere

The Gazette quoted £300 million in their edition of 12th Feb. Trouble is they didn't say where they got that figure from, so if anyone from the Gazette reads this and knows the source of that figure please could they post that info on here. Ta.

(this is what the Gaz. said: "Figures released this week have revealed that a breakwater off Dawlish is likely to cost around £300million".)  

and as well as how much whatever ends up being done costs, the other question that needs asking is where is the money going to come from to pay for it?  

@Lynne overseas aid budget would be a good place to start, after all the budget exists to help people recover from disasters. one billion from the 11 billion would sort out most things in the south west.

I'm confused. My brain must be getting addled. Please can someone unconfuse me.

Here is what I am confused about.

We have a government whose political/economic philosophy is pro private sector money spending/investment rather than public sector. It wishes to cut back on public (tax payer funded) spending.  It is a governemnt that advocates the free market, free enterprise and aspiration. It is an enabling government rather than a providing one.

So why isn't it looking to the private sector to fund all these much needed flood and coastal protection infrastructure projects?

Simple, where's the profit for them?

Doh! Silly me. Of course!

I'll write a letter to our MP asking her if the reason private sector finance isn't being looked at   is because there is no profit to be made. If I get a response it will be interesting to see what she says.

Lynne  Just a thought recently a private company put forward proposals to have a barrier across the Severn Estuary with the sole aim of producing power i wonder if the same company is involved in the tidal lagoon.   I havent done any research it is just a thought  is it possible there is a company out there specialising in tidal barriers producing power for the national grid, if so a possibility for Dawlish??

Yes it's called tidalbarriersrus.com

Okay, just looked up stuff about the Severn barrage proposals (proposal not happening for various reasons) and couldn't find anything at all under tidalbarriersrus.com

Which sort of brings us back to what is happening at Swansea. (see separate thread). I've looked at the Swansea lagoon website and it does say on there that the private developers are up for going to talk to other interested parties about what is proposed to be built at Swansea.

www.meygen.com/marine-power

        ww.cheshire-innovation.com/Tidal%20Power.htm 

www.tidalenergyltd.com/?page_id=1370

Not sure tidal energy would ever be a winner in this location given the range is only about 35% of that in the Bristol Channel. 

Okay what my thinking is, is this.

1. Is it possible for there to be a breakwater or some such similar thing at Dawlish in order to help protect the railway? NR presently looking at this and will report in the next few months or so.

2. If this is a possiblity then what form(s) can this breakwater or similar take and how much would each option cost?

3. How will what is being proposed be funded?  

4. What other secondary function(s) as well as the primary one of protecting the railway could this breakwater (whatever form it might take) offer. eg walkway/cycleway, marina, energy production, other. Maybe some of these, maybe none.   

@Lynne

See my post (third one down) here, then scroll down to see what they look like.

This is the sort of thing that is needed, and why they didnt do it years ago when the Warren defences were reinforced, God only knows.