River Thames under threat from hydropower

[luckyjim]

This is a plea from the Thames Anglers' Conservancy to object to a scheme at Teddington Weir that has the potential to damage the whole Thames ecosystem. For those who don't fish the Thames, hydropower schemes are also being planned on a river near you. Please take 3 minutes to object and make developers think more carefully about threatening the angling on rivers across the UK.

 

 

 

As you may be aware, Ham Hydro, a recently formed organisation,

has proposed to install large hydropower turbines on Teddington Weir.

The TAC and Angling Trust have strong environmental and ecological

concerns about the scheme, which has the potential to damage fish

spawning habitats and severely restrict fish migration. The scheme has

the potential to harm anglers the length of the River Thames.

 

The Ham Hydro planning application for Teddington Weir is under

consideration at Richmond Council and they are still accepting

representations.

 

Please write to them to express your objection to the project.

You may use the text below if you like, or adapt it if you prefer.

Ham Hydro are mobilising large numbers of people to write in support

so it is vital that we balance this with as many objections as possible.

 

You don't have to live in the local area to make an objection.

You have a legal right to comment on any planning application!

 

The easiest is to submit an objection is directly on the planning website,

visit this web address:

http://idoxwam.richmond.gov.uk/WAM/...=11/3908/FUL

(London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Planning case file 11/3908/FUL)

Press the "Comment" button and complete the form.

 

NB. You do not need to fill in the boxes with your email address and

telephone number, if you do they will be published on the web site!

 

Alternatively you can post a printed or written letter to:

Mr. Derek Tanner

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

Civic Centre

44 York Street

Twickenham

Middlesex

TW1 3BZ

 

You MUST include all of the information below.

 

=================================================

From: {Your full name}

Address: {Your full postal address and postcode}

 

Planning application: 11/3908/FUL

=================================================

Dear Sirs,

I strongly object to the application to install

hydro-electric turbines on Teddington Weir.

 

The application is insufficiently detailed and

makes far too many assumptions, leaving a number

of aspects of the design open to the whim of the

developer.

 

1) Environmental Impact Assessment - The study

accompanying the application is poor, sweeping

statements are made about fish habitats which

show a clear lack of understanding of the subject

matter.

Without a full study of the weir pool habitat in

advance of the development, no-one will ever

know what the true environmental impact has been.

 

2) Noise - Very little has been made of the

whining noise from the gearboxes and generators

themselves, on a river this is likely to carry

a long distance. Nearby business and residents

will be badly affected.

 

3) Power generation claims - It is well known

that the flow down the Thames has shown a marked

decrease in recent years due to upstream

abstraction for water supply. Assumptions based

on historic river flow data are therefore invalid

and the amount of power generated will fall

woefully short of the claimed figures. The only

beneficiaries of the scheme will be the plant

manufacturer and the installation contractor,

local investors are likely to lose all of their

money.

 

"Green" technology is a fashionable place where

many people feel they would like to be making a

contribution in the current climate. This must

not be at a hidden cost to the environment.

 

The Environment Agency have a conflict of

interest as they are landlord, sponsor and

regulator of this project. They originally

promised that no more of these developments on

the Thames would go ahead until the

installation at Romney was operational and its

effects had been studied. Please help them to

keep that promise.

 

I urge you to reject this poor quality

ill-conceived application.

 

Yours faithfully,

{your name}

=================================================