PLANS to harness the power of Marlow weir to create electricity for 400 to 600 homes have been lambasted by a group representing 2,000 anglers.

Thames Valley Angling Association has blasted the 'hideous' proposal for hydro-power on the River Thames beauty spot.

It also claims that the so called Archimedes screws will raise the prospect of dangerous flooding and could harm wildlife in the river.

South-East Power Engineering have been granted the right to develop the proposal, with meetings taking place this month with affected parties.

Jeff Woodhouse, the secretary of the association, regularly fishes by The Compleat Angler Hotel.

The Booker resident said: "It's awful, you can't disguise these things, they're so gigantic. In Romney you have these two screws sitting out the water in this horrible mustard colour, which is so hideous. It would be absolutely enormous and they'd be only 25 feet from the hotel.

"They'll be in your face if you're sitting in the angler's restaurant, it will be dreadful.

"Someone might find them handsome but I don't see how. It will be a blight and a blot on the landscape.

"I've always loved it and I don't want to see it spoiled."

He fears the impact it may have on the breeding and recruitment of fish species, particularly chub, dace, and barbel.

Of flooding, he said: "Now you block off 10-12 per cent or more of that weir with nowhere else for the water to go and the water will back up causing further flooding upstream. It will find somewhere to go, water does that, into people’s streets and homes."

Mr Woodhouse, who also sits on the Environment Agency's RFERAC sub-group on hydro development, has also disputed the effectiveness of the hydro-power plants and how green they really are.

The Environment Agency said there were many hurdles to overcome, with various studies to take place, and planning consent to be sought from the council. Even 18 months is an optimistic estimate of how long it would take to put up, according to Stephen Naylor, The EA's project manager on hydropwer.

On visual concerns, he said: "Some people like the look of them, some people don't. We're talking about a large industrial screw mechanism on a weir.

"Some call it an iconic weir and it's something people will go and visit in that area. But at the end of the day it's, from our point of view, an industrial asset. It's a weir structure, it's got a big steel work with gates moving, it's not a Turner landscape.

"So, is it out of place on there? That's for debate. There will be people who will not like the site but there will be plenty who visit it as an interesting landmark."

A large part of the structure will be submerged, he said, adding the visual impact will be considered in any planning application.

David Dechambeau, Managing Director of South-East Power Engineering has been unavailable for comment.

 

THE Compleat Angler Hotel is investigating a hydro-power scheme of its own, The Environment Agency has revealed.

Mr Naylor told the MFP: "The Compleat Angler Hotel is quite interested in hydro-power and in fact they're looking at a scheme themselves if SEP don't go ahead with their scheme on the weir.

"They've employed a consultant to look at the idea of putting a scheme next to the weir on their land."

Hotel bosses have said they will not be commenting at this stage on the hydro-weir plans.