River could be used to generate power

Councillors will this week consider a report on the project, which could see power harnessed from the flow of the River Aire at Saltaire Weir to generate 371,000 kWh a year of electricity.

Saltaire Weir was originally created to provide power for a corn mill on the site of the current New Mill.

The proposals, which will be considered by members of Bradford Council’s Shipley Area Committee on Wednesday, include installing an Archimedes screw type turbine and fish pass in the bank next to the Roberts Park side of the weir, downstream of the footbridge.

Council officers estimate that the profit made from feed-in tariffs for renewable energy will total £1.8m during the first 20 years of the scheme.

The proposals would help to meet renewable energy targets.

Two years ago the council pledged to ensure 20 per cent of its energy needs were met by renewable sources, by 2020.

The report says that if the works do not go ahead there is a failure: “to make any substantive inroads to the agreed targets on renewable energy and fail to make use of existing infrastructure to generate power.”

It adds: “There were some concerns that the scheme would impact on the view from Roberts Park across the weir, that the scheme would attract more visitors into the park and that there would be a reduction in available access during the construction phase.”

Members of the committee are being urged to back the proposals for a hydro regeneration scheme subject to it meeting “all ecological, heritage and planning requirements as a sustainable development” when they meet to discuss the issue on Wednesday.