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Bristol mayor and architect George Ferguson has hit out at plans for a Severn Barrage saying the scheme would damage the economy of the region.

Barrage developer Hafren Power has been lobbying hard for government support for a scheme to build a barrage in the Severn Estuary, which would cost 拢25bn. The firm claims it could provide up to 5% of the UK鈥檚 electricity for over 100 years.

But Ferguson told the BBC Sunday Politics Wales the scheme would damage business at Bristol鈥檚 deep water port.

He said: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 in the interest of the whole region that we have a successful port in the Severn of which our port on Avonmouth is a successful port.

鈥淚t鈥檚 as close to Wales as dammit and I think if the trade at that port is damaged it damages us all.鈥�

He added: 鈥淚 think there are much better ways of using tidal and other forms of power in the Severn Estuary.鈥�

鈥淎nd there are much better ways in terms of the technology. We could develop a technology within in the Severn Estuary, within the South West and south Wales which we could export to the rest of the world.鈥�

He said it wasn鈥檛 possible to export expertise in building barrages.

But a spokesperson for Hafren Power said the project would 鈥渃reate a huge and lasting boost to the regional economies鈥�.

鈥淲e think the barrage and ports can co-exist including Bristol鈥檚 aspirations for larger ships. Vessels will have to use a lock in the barrage but they already have to wait or time their arrivals for high water to use the port,鈥� he added.