Backers line up for bid to tap into traditional water power

Proposals have been drawn up to build the 45kw plant on the River Bain, near Bainbridge, which will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of about 40 homes.

The flowing water will be used to turn a generator, and senior officials at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority hope it will be the first of up to 50 schemes across the Dales.

The River Bain Hydro project is being largely funded by grants and loans, but organisers have been inundated with applications for a shares offer, which has now been extended.

More than 500 application forms have been sent out across the North and as far afield as Cornwall and the Isle of Man.

Director Yvonne Peacock said: "People have a real affinity with the Yorkshire Dales after they have visited and gone walking in the area, so I'm sure that is where a lot of the interest comes from.

"But people are also very interested in green technology and we've been delighted at the amount of requests we've been getting for the share prospectus. We think it's only right that we give people sufficient time to consider the prospectus in detail and have decided to extend the share offer."

A total of 250,000 is needed to buy the equipment for the hydro scheme, and more than half has already been raised. Work is due to start on site this summer.

The new plant will be built alongside the two-mile long River Bain in Raydale – said to be the smallest river in Britain – and the project has already been backed by Richmond MP William Hague.

The share offer has been extended until 5pm on July 7, and the prospectus can be downloaded at www.h2ope.co.uk