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:
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}
=================================================
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:
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}
=================================================