Possible delays set for Bridgwater tidal barrier due to asbestos
There could be a six-month delay to work for the protective tidal barrier after asbestos was discovered near the access to the site
Work on a tidal barrier to protect Somerset homes and businesses could be delayed by up to six months after asbestos was discovered near the access to the site.
Sedgemoor District Council and the Environment Agency (EA) jointly put forward proposals in December 2019 for the new barrier near the Chilton Trinity Enterprise Park, which is designed to protect around 13,000 homes and 1,500 businesses from being flooded in the coming decades.
The business case for the £128m project was approved by the Treasury in September 2021, with Defra giving the final go-ahead in January 2022.
But construction work may now be pushed back significantly after asbestos was found at the start of the new access road being built into the site to take construction traffic off the local road network.
The barrier will be built across the River Parrett in the parish of Chilton Trinity, with two vertical lifting gates which will be closed at very high tides to prevent water from travelling upstream and overwhelming existing flood defences.
New flood defence embankments will also be created downstream of the barrier, with existing embankments being improved and reinforced at the same time.
Artist's impression of the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier
In a newsletter released before a drop-in event scheduled for Wednesday afternoon (November 30), the council and the EA jointly confirmed the delay.
They said: “Work has started on a new access track from Saltlands Lane, adjacent to the recycling centre.
“Large vehicles and construction plant equipment will use this to access the barrier site and it will minimise traffic into Chilton Trinity.
“Asbestos was found at the start of the track. A cordon has been set up while the asbestos is safely removed, and some public footpaths have been temporarily diverted.
“Work could take four weeks, but up to six months if we find more asbestos.”
In addition to the recycling centre (run by Biffa on behalf of the Somerset Waste Partnership), Saltlands Lane is currently home to Bridgwater’s waste water treatment plant (operated by Wessex Water) and Somerset County Council’s new school transport depot, which was approved in February.
It will also serve as the access point for a new £3m solar farm to be constructed by the county council (or its unitary successor) either side of the water treatment facility.
The district council said it had “minimised” any delay to the original programme of works by carrying out vegetation clearing activity ahead of schedule.
The first physical element of the project to be delivered (besides the temporary access road) will be a temporary “bypass channel” in early-2023, which will divert water in the River Parrett away from the main channel to allow the barrier’s foundations to be laid.
A drop-in event will be staged at St. Mary’s Church in Bridgwater on Wednesday (November 30) between 2pm and 7pm, allowing the public to directly quiz council and EA officers about the project.