Hydro power / flood risk

Launch of Peak Hydro Forum

Organised by Friends of the Peak District and Sustainable Bakewell

Saturday 3 July, 10am - 12.30 (9.30am for refreshments)
Ashford War Memorial Institute, Main Road, Ashford in the Water DE45 1QA

Anyone interested in micro hydro power in the Peak District is welcome to this first consultation event to set up a Peak Hydro Forum.

Things formally kick off at 10am, but you are welcome from 9.30 for a cup of coffee and chat. The meeting will include
• progress on hydro power in the Peak District
• looking at views on the future work of the Peak Hydro Forum
• discussions about options for what type of forum is wanted

Cost: free

Please register here where you can also fill in a survey about hydro power in the Peak District.

For more information contact Dan Zamoyski of Sustainable Bakewell on 07790 818883.

Fiona Cowan
23 June 2010

Tutbury gets the green light

A Community Project Team in Tutbury commissioned Derwent Hydro Developments Ltd to compile a feasibility study which will provide a technical solution, options and rough order costs for a potential micro hydro-electric plant to be installed in the Mill Fleam in Tutbury.

The study is funded by donations from Trent & Dove Housing Association, Tutbury Parish Council and Tutbury Civic Society. The study was commissioned by the Tutbury Hydro-Electric Project (THEP).

The Project Team was formed in December 2008 by a group of Tutbury residents. The Team's key aims are to develop water-sourced energy whilst improving the environment in the immediate vicinity of Mill Fleam; to provide environmental advice to the communities of Tutbury and neighbouring villages and also to reduce the collective carbon footprint of our local communities.

Cllr Liz Staples, Mayor of the Borough of East Staffordshire and also a ward councillor for Tutbury, commented:

"I'm very excited by the potential of this project. The plant, if installed, could help to significantly lower the carbon footprint of neighbouring villages, as well as generating money to help fund other community projects within the locality.

"The benefits of a similar scheme at New Mills in the Peak District look set to be huge in terms of delivering both financial rewards and, to no lesser extent, in drawing the local community together."

County Councillor Bob Fraser, Dove Division, said that the correct proposal should get support:

"Staffordshire are committed to improving any impact on the environment and projects such as this will certainly get my encouragement, and I'll try to help in any way I can."

Steve Rhodes, Chairman of THEP, said that the aims of the group: "...are more far reaching than a hydro-electric scheme. We want to change the way people think about the energy they use and to help them make informed, pragmatic changes which will primarily reduce their fuel bills and also help to save our environment".

As a result of this approach, a local but nationally recognised group delivered in May 2009 a presentation at the Tutbury Residents Association meeting on the work they had been doing.

The Whittington & Fisherwick Environment Group (WFEG) is made up of residents from these villages near to Lichfield. It is a small group which has nonetheless received national awards for their efforts to reduce the collective carbon footprint of their community. Efforts have been concentrated on raising awareness on how to save money by being environmentally friendly and energy conscious.

Cathy Luffman, the local Campaigns Officer for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), today said she was: "...delighted to be able to offer help and support to make this project happen. Hydro schemes such as this are now being investigated and installed in many places in both Staffordshire and Derbyshire on the site of old mills. They are generally completely in keeping with the locality and offer one of the best green energy alternatives at little or no cost to the environment."

THEP were planning to deliver a presentation and exhibition to Tutbury and neighbouring village residents in July 2009 to lay out the plans for the Hydro project when the programme plan is developed further. (Details to be confirmed.)

Hydropower needs to be sensitively placed

In response to a new Environment Agency report into potential locations for hydropower energy generation, Dustin Benton, Senior Policy Officer, says:

"Although this report identifies 26,000 locations where it would be possible to generate small-scale hydroelectric power, it quite rightly points out that only 5,000 of these sites have low environmental sensitivity. The report appears to have taken a responsible and measured approach in weighing up the numerous environmental and practical impacts of any new hydropower plant and this is to be applauded.

"It's worth remembering that any site recommended in the report would still need to be consulted on and be subject to the local planning process. It is important that local people get to have a say about the design of possible schemes, and their impact on tranquillity and countryside character.

"If designed well, small scale hydro has low impacts on the countryside and can play a valuable role in helping rural communities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. I hope the report helps to generate interest in sustainable, local energy production at suitable sites across the country."

Fiona Cowan
12 May 2010

CPRE develops micro hydro power for the Peak District

Andy Tickle, head of planning and campaigning at CPRE Peak District and South Yorkshire, writes about developing micro hydro power for the Peak District

In 2006, semi-retired water engineer Graham Woods contacted Friends of the Peak District, the group that represents CPRE in the Peak District. Graham wanted to commit volunteer time to a worthwhile project.

At the time, the group wanted to introduce a positive small-scale renewable energy technology that was well suited to National Park landscapes. Bingo! Graham was the perfect person to scope the options for redeveloping old water mill sites in the Peak into micro hydro power schemes.

The project really took off when Friends of the Peak District applied for about £20,000 of funding to employ Graham part time (matching his volunteer time 50-50), cover some staff costs (my time) and bring in technical consultants to handle complex GIX mapping and river flow modelling.

With grants soon obtained from the Peak District Sustainable Development Fund, the East Midlands Regional Assembly and one of the group's corporate sponsors, Chesterfield Steels, we were ready to go.

The first step was to survey nearly 120 old mill and other sites in the Peak and surrounding areas. We then graded the sites by a rough and ready 3-way classification
• A = good
• B = maybe
• C = no hopers

to focus down on the better sites.

Sixty of the A and B sites were subjected to a specially commissioned GIS model which mapped planning and environmental features and the distance to the nearest electrical connection point.

We then looked at 20 sites in greater detail and developed 10 into case studies where flow and power were estimated using another computer model.

Throughout the project, a series of community meetings were held across the Peak to introduce and review the work.

By summer 2009 we were nearly there. We showcased to Hilary Benn as part of his visit to the Peak to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the National Parks legislation.

In his enthusiasm for the project, he agreed to write the foreword to the report!

Writing the report itself was a major undertaking - it took 6 months, juggled against other urgent campaign work. The 230-page technical report and a short popular summary booklet were launched in late March 2010.

So, what did we find and what might the study help achieve?

1. We showed there is much potential in the Peak to reinstate hydro power
We have provided the first firm estimate of likely future hydro power capacity in the Peak - about 1.8 megawatts. This, together with about 1.6 megawatts already on stream (mostly developed at big Peak reservoir systems), means that thousands of Peak District homes can get something in return for our often rainy skies!

2. We identified a prioritised 'wish list' of best sites to take forward
We will be pressing the National Park Authority, other neighbouring planning authorities and the regional bodies for more resources to develop them, especially through community-led schemes. We are rolling out a series of community workshops across the Peak to raise interest and move sites towards implementation.

Adapted with permission from Andy Tickle's 'letter from the field' in the April 2010 issue of Fieldwork, CPRE's member newsletter

Fiona Cowan
18 May 2010