West Country environment

The Green MEP for the South West has criticised the government announcement to guarantee £2 billion to underwrite the proposed nuclear electricity generation plant at Hinkley Point in Somerset, which is due to be built partly with Chinese money.

Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West, whose constituency Hinkley would be built in and long term critic of Hinkley says it is astonishing the government is "begging for Chinese money".

A giant redwood tree - which was over 100 years old - has been cut down at Westonbirt Arboretum.

It was rotting on the inside so staff at the woodland had to make the difficult decision to chop down the Victorian age tree.

Footage from the Forestry Commission.

There could be two new green energy projects set up off the North coast of Devon and Cornwall. The Crown Estate, which manages the UK seabed, has given approval for leases on two sites - one for a wave energy scheme off North Cornwall ,the other a tidal based project off North Devon.

A wave hub is currently in place off St Ives.

A £26m project to improve water quality on Weston-super-Mare's beaches has been completed.

Wessex Water say they'll be able to treat sewage to a higher standard before it's released.

The Uphill Slipway beach failed a water standard test by the Marine Conservation Society last month.

This weekend hundreds of volunteers are expected to scour the region's coastline looking for litter and other debris washed up on the shore. It's part of a campaign by the pressure group Surfers Against Sewage.

It warns that, although our beaches look clean at first glance, they can be strewn with plastic and other debris that threaten marine habitats.

This weekend, hundreds of volunteers will scour the region's coastline looking for litter and other debris washed up on the shore.

It's part of a campaign by the pressure group Surfers Against Sewage. It warns that, although our beaches look clean at first glance, they can be strewn with plastic and other debris that threaten marine habitats.

Environmental groups from the West Country have criticised the government over plans to limit the number of areas where marine life is protected. Today a framed copy of a petition with quarter of a million signatures was handed in to Parliament by wildlife groups from across the country.

It asks Ministers to create more marine conservation areas around our coasts. Only a quarter of those proposed will be recognised this year. Environment Minister Richard Benyon says more zones may be added later, and that the government is starting with those areas that have the strongest case.