Farmers slam 'crazy' plans to flood 1,500 acres to save fish from Hinkley Point C

EDF Energy's proposal would see land used for farming for generations lost

Owners and tenant farmers say the scheme will devastate them and is not needed

Farmers have reacted angrily to proposals to flood 1,500 acres of their land to save fish from the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. EDF Energy claims the move is necessary to protect the fish stocks in the River Severn estuary, which the cooling system of the new power plant could potentially harm. The cooling water taken from the estuary and sent back into the river will be at a slightly lower temperature. This drop in temperature could harm local fish stocks. To mitigate the issue, EDF proposes creating off-site compensation pools to provide a new habitat for fish.

However, farmers say the scheme will devastate them and is not needed. They argue that the fishing industry has already been compensated for the loss of fishing grounds due to the construction of Hinkley Point C, and that the proposed compensation pools will not be as good as the natural habitat that will be lost. Creating pools that support a rich and productive ecosystem of fish takes many years. In the meantime, the fish stocks will be lost.

One farmer, who has been farming the land for 30 years, said:" This is crazy. They're going to flood 1,500 acres of good farmland to save a few fish. It's just not right." Another farmer added: "This will devastate us. We've been farming this land for generations, and now they're just going to take it away from us." The farmers are now calling on the government to intervene and stop the plans.