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LIVERPOOL City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has announced the 1st public consultation on the world's largest tidal power scheme and revealed the scheme has entered the formal planning process, with the submission of a scoping report to the Planning Inspectorate.

A 6 week public consultation on the scheme will begin on:- 1 October 2024, offering local people and organisations the opportunity to comment on initial proposals for a tidal barrage across the River Mersey and its associated infrastructure.

The scheme is being developed as a barrage that will deliver enough clean, predictable energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes for 120 years.

The Scoping Report has been submitted to agree the ecology surveys that will need to be prepared ahead of a planning submission in 2026.

Submitting a scoping opinion is the 1st step towards preparing a Development Control Order (DCO) submission; a process which typically takes 2 to 3 years.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:- "The Mersey Tidal Project is one of the most challenging schemes to deliver due to the environmental, ecological and economic considerations, but it's potential to generate clean, green and predictable energy would be worth all the effort we are putting into this planning stage. The River Mersey has been the lifeblood of our Region's fortunes for centuries, and today marks another important milestone in its future. With the launch of our 1st 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. This project has the potential to power hundreds of thousands of homes with renewable energy for 120 years while creating thousands of green jobs. It's a once in a generation opportunity to cement our position as Britain's Renewable Energy Coast and help lead the global charge to net zero. This is about much more than just an energy generation scheme; it's a chance to build a lasting legacy for our people and our planet."

Starting next week, 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 on proposals.

The consultation will also feature a dedicated on-line consultation site, live from:- 23 September 2024, at:- https://www.merseytidal.co.uk that will host information on the scheme as well as an on-line survey.

Feedback from the consultation will help develop project proposals and will be considered alongside ongoing engineering design and environmental assessment work.

A report to the Combined Authority's meeting in March revealed the City Region is pursuing a barrage between:- the Wirral and Liverpool as the preferred option for the Mersey Tidal Power project. The Mersey Tidal Power project will be discussed at events at the forthcoming Labour Party conference.

The scheme; the "1st of a kind" in the UK; could generate clean, predictable energy for 120 years and create thousands of jobs in its construction and operation.

It also opens the possibility of a 1st ever cycling and pedestrian route over the river between:- Liverpool and Wirral and could provide a defence against future flooding risks associated with climate change.

Over the last 3 years, the authority has undertaken early technical work to develop the potential scope of the scheme, which could be up and running within a decade, playing a huge role in the Region's push to be net zero carbon by 2035; at least a decade ahead of national targets.

Mersey Tidal Power would add to offshore wind, hydrogen and solar projects as the City Region becomes the UK's Renewable Energy Coast; providing greater domestic energy security.

Councillor Anthony Burns, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Portfolio Holder for Net Zero, said:- "We are already leading the way in developing a cleaner and greener economy, with existing wind and solar power capacity and emerging strengths in hydrogen. Harnessing the power of the River Mersey to generate green and predictable energy for more than 100 years would be an incredible addition to our clean energy mix. I would encourage anyone interested in the project to get involved with the consultation and let us know what they think."

The March report to the Combined Authority noted that a barrage option would be less expensive than a man made lagoon, requiring less material and more appropriate levels of Government support.

The multi billion pound Mersey Tidal Power project would use tried and tested technology for the 1st time in the UK.

Further opportunities to provide feedback will take place as the project progresses. A further round of statutory consultation is planned for 2025, during which refined proposals will be presented for comment. Following the statutory consultation, proposals will be finalised ahead of an application for a Development Consent Order.

As part of the formal planning process, The Mersey Tidal Power Project has now formally submitted a scoping report to the Planning Inspectorate.

The scoping opinion submission describes the project and asks the Planning Inspector to advise on the scope and breadth of ecology surveys needed to complete the documents outlining the environmental impact of the scheme.