Corlan Hafren, a private company including partners Ove Arup & Partners, KPMG, Sancroft International, Marks Barfield Architects, Hannah & Mould Solicitors and Professor Roger Falconer, believes it can deliver the long-mulled development without drawing significantly on public funds.

The outfit, whose names is Welsh for Severn Group, has published a plan for a Severn Barrage that would span from Lavernock Point to Brean Down.