Council admits error and revokes planning permission for hydro scheme on River Trent

[FishingMagic]

Newark and Sherwood District Council has admitted that it got the law wrong in granting planning permission for a hydropower scheme on the Trent without following European Rules on assessing impact on the environment and has agreed to revoke its decision, following receipt of a “pre-action” Judicial Review letter from Fish legal, a conservation organisation acting for its members the Collingham Angling Association.


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[thecrow]

Really good news, I would join Fish Legal if I could but cant so that's that.

I found this a very interesting paragraph, if one was cynical one could read allsorts into it.

[B][/Fish Legal also pointed out there had been no survey undertaken of the gravels to see if lamprey spawn there, relying instead on survey data from elsewhere on the river. The planning decision had then been made by a planning officer without consideration by a planning committee and there had been no consultation of Natural England.B]

 

[john step]

Well done Fish Legal.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Really good news, I would join Fish Legal if I could but cant so that's that.

I found this a very interesting paragraph, if one was cynical one could read allsorts into it.

[B][/Fish Legal also pointed out there had been no survey undertaken of the gravels to see if lamprey spawn there, relying instead on survey data from elsewhere on the river. The planning decision had then been made by a planning officer without consideration by a planning committee and there had been no consultation of Natural England.B]

The EA never have done any pre-installation/planning request assessment of the weir pools, particularly in the Thames. The one at Windsor went through with guesswork, as have some others. When we quoted the WFD at them they simply said the planning complied, which it didn't (according to Dr Alan Butterworth) in most cases. The EA have always cherry-picked at the WFD, do it when it suits them, don't do it when it suits someone else, particularly anglers.
Interesting, I haven't seen the one at Sandford working as yet, One EA man told me it would only work for 6 to 8 weeks a year when flows were right. They did get a fantastic multi-purpose fish pass out of it though.