Planning and public consultations for the Mersey Tidal Power scheme, a major new link between Wirral and Liverpool, are about to get under way.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority said that the £3.5bn Mersey Tidal Power scheme had entered the formal planning process, with the submission of a scoping report to the Planning Inspectorate.

It also announced that a six-week public consultation on the scheme would begin on 1 October 2024, offering local people and organisations the opportunity to comment on initial proposals for the scheme.

The 700MW Mersey Tidal Power scheme is a ‘first of a kind’ project in the UK, building a barrage across the River Mersey with turbines, sluices and marine navigation locks.

The 28 turbines will generate power by turning with the tide. The barrage will also provide a defence against future flooding risks, with the sluice gates letting water pass quickly through the barrage if needed.

The planned barrage will also include a cycling and pedestrian route...