James Wild MP received £2,500 from Wash barrage consultant

Ian Devereux gave £2,500 towards North West Norfolk MP James Wild's fighting fund for the general election in July.

Mr Devereux, who is listed as a donor in the parliamentary register of MPs' interests, has been acting as an environmental consultant for the Centre Port project.

Centre Port says the structure would generate enough hydro-electric energy to power a new deep sea container port and thousands of homes, protect the Fens from flooding and carry a new road across the estuary between Norfolk and Lincolnshire.

An artist's impression of the proposed Wash barrier (Image: Centre Port)

But environmentalists say it would devastate internationally-important tidal habitats.

Mr Wild, who was re-elected with a 4,594 majority, said donations did not influence his views on any issues and he remained opposed to the barrage, as he had stated before the election.

"The Wash is one of the most important habitats in Norfolk and rightly has many special designations to project it," he said.

"I've met the RSPB at Snettisham to talk about the damaging impact a barrier could have.

North West Norfolk MP James Wild (Image: Denise Bradley) "Nothing I have seen addresses the major concerns that have been raised about the impact on the environment and as it stands I do not support it."

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Mr Devereux could not be contacted for comment. He was a West Norfolk borough councillor between 2015 and 2023 and held the role of portfolio holder for the environment from 2017 - 2000.

Ian Devereux pictured during his time as a borough councillor (Image: Denise Bradley) When he stepped down from the environment role in 2020, the then 74-year-old said he was "feeling his age".

At the time, he was also is also a member of the Norfolk Coast Partnership management group, the Wash and North Norfolk Coast European Marine Site Management Team and drainage boards.

Last March, he joined Centre Port supporters at a Westminster presentation on the project, wearing his West Norfolk council tie and lanyard.

A still from a YouTube video of Ian Devereux at the Westminster launch of the Centre Port project (Image: YouTube) Mr Devereux, who was still a councillor at the time, was described as the project's flood and coastal analyst.

He said Centre Port would provide "many channels of opportunity" to communities around the Wash and in the Fens.

Last month Centre Port's director James Sutcliffe told business leaders in Lincolnshire his company has contacted the Planning Inspectorate regarding a Development Consent Order for the project.