Local Benefits

The Minehead land connection to the west of the main town provides an opportunity to create an exciting, vibrant extension of the seafront esplanade, enhancing the unique character and identity of the town and creating job opportunities, particularly for young people.

The WSL team has created a preliminary masterplan having researched local needs and aspirations – In particular ‘The Minehead Plan: Inspiring People and Place’ report Sept 2021. Going forward the masterplan will be developed in close collaborative partnership with local stakeholders.

The western landfall will be the gateway to the lagoon for locals and visitors alike via a new high quality landscaped promenade extending 300m along the coast adjacent Culvercliff and then 800 metres out to a new 300 boat marina and harbour. It is suggested that the promenade would feature a variety of shops, cafes, restaurants and commercial buildings, hosting new business and employment opportunities for local entrepreneurs along with the provision of cultural, education and community focused facilities. These could include an arts centre, an open-air theatre & cinema, open-air heated swimming baths and sauna and a water sports centre.
The mix of new businesses and public community use offers will provide a vibrancy which will help the local economy diversify and expand beyond the existing leisure offerings creating a new destination in addition to the new marina and harbour. A new visitor centre will be located at the end of the promenade which will accommodate an education & visitors centre with high level look-out by day and a bookable “village hall” community resource at night time thus providing a range of offers for community and visitors alike.

Tourism

The new Minehead lagoon wall connection will create a new destination for tourism and leisure for the town. The nature of the lagoon with the emphasis on the production of green energy in combination with the design of the new promenade provides a balance of leisure and commercial facilities to create a sense of place that will encourage visitors to visit, dwell and spend time in Minehead beyond the main town.

The new arts center and visitor centre and lookout tower will both become visitor destinations for tourists. Indeed, the provision of an arts centre has proven to be a catalyst for economic improvement and inward tourism for coastal towns such as Margate, Hastings & St Ives alike. Additionally, the provision of a new ferry terminal on the new harbour will host tourist ferries such as the Waverley during the summer months which will further enhance the opportunity for tourist activity.

Recreation Opportunities

The lagoon will create a new opportunity for sailing, boating and other marine recreation within the protected enclosure of the lagoon. The lagoon will still be tidal but will have protection from the open sea between power generation cycles. The lagoon project will provide 80sqm of impounded water with 80% of it being available for recreation. The provision of a new purpose built 300 berth marina will provide the opportunity to positively increase the local uptake of sailing and boating both within the lagoon. The marina will host the latest facilities including a Marina office, boat lift and boat repair lay-up and repair yard area.

In hand with the marina will be the provision of the new open-air baths which will float with the tide. This new complex will feature a year-round heated 50m swimming pool and associated pleasure & fun pools benefiting from zero carbon energy produced by the lagoon turbines. The baths will be complimented with wide sun decks, changing spaces, café and sauna to create a new urban beach location for locals and tourists alike. Allied to the baths will be the provision of a community sailing club which will provide access for community & youth groups to learn dingy sailing, kayaking, windsurfing within the safe haven of the lagoon which will experience reduced waves and tidal currents and will offer safer opportunities for a range of water sports. The lagoon wall will provide walking & cycling routes from the promenade to connect with longer routes out along the lagoon wall during the summer months.

Employment - during construction

The lagoon enclosure will be formed from large concrete caissons, which are cellular boxes with reinforced concrete walls and base.

The caissons will be built in existing Ports in South West England and South Wales, towed to the site and installed by ballasting with water and with sand and gravel. It is estimated that there will be around 6000 construction jobs at these port sites for a 4 to 5 year period.

The turbines are expected to be assembled at a port site using components sourced from the UK and overseas. Detailed studies are planned to maximise the UK content.

There will be around 2000 construction jobs in completing the enclosure offshore and in the installation of the generation equipment over a period of 5 to 6 years.

Employment - in operation

In operation we expect 300+ permanent jobs to be created at the two landfalls.

There will be around 100 permanent engineering staff based at the Eastern landfall connection near Doniford to operate and maintain the generation equipment and the transmission to National Grid.

At the Minehead landfall we expect 200+ local jobs to be created in and around the new promenade requiring both part-time and permanent positions to staff the many new facilities, along with maintenance and cleaning staff.

These new facilities will include shops, restaurants, theatre, cinema, arts centre, marina, public baths and a visitor centre. Marine farming is also planned.

Clearly this level of local employment will also have a wider positive impact on local supply side industries & services.

Coastal Protection

The Lagoon enclosure will provide protection against tidal surges, coastal erosion and flooding:

Large waves, which cause severe erosion along the coast, will be reduced.
Properties such as the Blue Anchor Hotel will have protection from coastal erosion.
The B3191 road which is closed near Watchet due to cliff falls will have protection from coastal erosion.
The West Somerset Railway, which is close to the coast in places, will have reduced risk from coastal erosion and flooding.
Flood risk to low lying land from low pressure surge and high spring tides will be reduced by closure of turbines and sluices when these events are predicted.

The Lagoon enclosure will provide protection against Sea Level Rise (SLR) to 14km of coast.

Marine Farming

Marine farming, also known as aquaculture, has numerous local and economic benefits.

Firstly, it provides a sustainable source of seafood, reducing the pressure on wild fish populations. This, in turn, supports local fishing communities and ensures a stable food supply.

Additionally, marine farming creates jobs in coastal areas, boosting the local economy. It also reduces the need for importing seafood, which can be costly and environmentally damaging due to transport emissions. Furthermore, marine farming can have positive effects on the environment, such as improving water quality and providing habitats for marine life. We will investigate mussel, oyster, sea grass and sea weed farming.

Overall, marine farming is a valuable industry that supports local communities, provides sustainable food sources, and has positive environmental impacts.