Save Swansea’s lagoon

SIR – Your report (June 19) on “shovelready infrastructure projects that could turbocharge the economy” made prescient reference to Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

The lagoon is ready to roll. It will generate thousands of jobs and apprenticeships, revive and sustain blighted supply-chain industries, deliver green energy and “level-up” the country. Yet it is under threat because officials at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy refuse to sign off on the decommissioning plan required to allow work to start on-site by June 30. This must happen in order to preserve planning consent. As they seem determined to adhere to the flawed decisions of the previous administration, these officials are blocking the scheme.

As Britain strives to rebuild, nothing is more important than replacing lost jobs and creating new ones. More than 1,000 businesses in the engineering, steel and concrete sectors have registered to provide parts, skills and expertise to the project. These companies stand to benefit from at least £800million of manufacturing orders this year. Around 84p in every pound invested will be spent in Britain – rather than in China or France, as with nuclear and wind alternatives.

As supporters of Swansea Bay, believers in innovation, business leaders and trade unionists, we call on ministers to ensure the project goes ahead. It will be a missed opportunity, and a dereliction of duty, if they fail.

Roger Evans

Tidal Lagoon Industry Advisory Board

Andrew Gatenby

Director, Allerton Steel

J G Brown

CEO, Francis Brown Ltd and 18 others; see telegraph.co.uk