Somerset MP demands meeting with prime minister over tidal lagoon plans
Tiverton and Minehead MP urges talks with Sir Keir Starmer over £11bn renewable energy scheme off the west Somerset coast
A Somerset MP has demanded a meeting with the prime minister over proposals for a tidal lagoon in her constituency.
The West Somerset Lagoon consortium had put forward proposals for an £11bn tidal lagoon between Minehead and Watchet, which could provide enough power for around two million homes – close to the peak output of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
The proposed 14-mile barrage has attracted growing support, with Julia Barfield – the architect behind the London Eye and Brighton’s i360 tower – publicly endorsing the plans in the national press.
Rachel Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead, has now written to Sir Keir Starmer MP to demand a meeting, arguing the project closely aligns with the government’s clean energy policies.
The tidal design features a breakwater wall containing underwater turbines, along with a marina, floating solar panels, and a public access route for walkers and cyclists.
Mrs Gilmour publicly expressed her support for the project at a Q&A event held in Watchet in January 2025, and openly welcomed Mrs Barfield’s backing shortly after Christmas.
Writing to the prime minister on Tuesday (January 6), she said that the tidal lagoon project would be cost-effective, provide reliable clean energy and bring high-skilled, well-paid jobs to the area.
She said: “The lagoon would cost roughly a third of the budget of Hinkley Point C and would provide clean energy for 120 years, with the potential to generate electricity for two million homes across the UK – all while offering a more reliable and predictable source of renewable power than that generated by solar and wind.
“What is more, the plans include a 300-berth marina, water sports facilities and other amenities, which would be a lever for growth and jobs in west Somerset – an area that currently ranks amongst the lowest on national social mobility measures.”
Mrs Gilmour has been pushing the government for additional infrastructure investment in west Somerset, supporting Somerset Council’s £37m bid for funding to reopen the vital B3191 Cleeve Hill between Watchet and Blue Anchor.
She added: “This would be an iconic piece of national infrastructure with genuinely transformative potential for the region and the country.
“This government has made clean energy a central pillar in its policy agenda, and this project aligns directly with that objective.
“I have requested meetings with your colleagues in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
“I would also welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this exciting proposal and explore how we might collaborate to take it forward.
“I very much look forward to hearing from you.”
While the Lib Dems have openly supported the tidal lagoon, local Conservative campaigner James Wright said he was sceptical as to whether the project could be delivered – and argued funding for other improvements in the constituency should be prioritised.
He said: “I am concerned that this is a vanity project.
“The focus on west Somerset must be on improving access to jobs and education through reconnecting the B3191, stopping the flooding on the A39, and getting a commuter train service running to Taunton.”