No response to consultation had been received at the time of writing this report. Any response will be reported as Late Observations.

No response to consultation had been received at the time of writing this report. Any response will be reported as Late Observations.

Whilst the formal response from the EA is awaited, the EA has verbally advised that they are unlikely to object to the application. Any response will be reported as Late Observations.

The Council’s consultant ecologist raises no objections providing the details submitted with the application in the environmental report, relating to reptiles, breeding birds and bats are carried out.

No response to consultation had been received at the time of writing this report. Any response will be reported as Late Observations.

The Ramblers Association advises that the proposal is unlikely to have any adverse effect upon the public rights of way near the lock and raise no objection to the proposal.

The Environmental Protection Officer suggests a condition is attached to any permission relating to noise limits.

Three letters have been received and commenting as follows:

- concerns about additional noise that this may cause once in operation;

- that there is already a certain amount of noise from aircraft, the river and the weir and this should not be relied on to mask the noise of the turbines, the generator and the gearbox;

- concerns that this could exacerbate flooding;

- if this causes residents concerns could it be reversed;

- we are being used as a test case owing to our proximity to Windsor Castle; and

- the application does not address how noisy it would be or what it would look like as such planning permission must be refused.

No response to consultation had been received at the time of writing this report. Any response will be reported as Late Observations.

1. The application site comprises the first three bays of Romney Weir, and an existing single storey building used as a control room on the eastern side of the weir. Romney Weir is located within a section of the Thames where it divides into separate channels comprising the Lock Cut, main channel with weir, and the smaller mill race to the Thames Water Eton pumping station. The weir spans the River Thames between Romney Island and Cutlers Ait. The weir is 60m wide, has ten main weir gates (plus a small 11^th gate), and a fall of around 2m.

2. The weir is located to the north of Windsor town centre and is visible from Windsor Bridge. The Thames Path National Trail runs alongside the eastern edge of the Lock Cut and a Public Footpath allows access onto Romney Island via Romney lock.

3. The application seeks planning permission to install two ‘Archimedes screw’ turbines in two weir bays on the Windsor side of Romney Weir, adjacent to Romney Island. The turbines would produce a maximum power output of 300kW, varying with the water flow, and around 1.4 million units of electricity per annum. This would be enough to meet the annual needs of around 300 households.

4. Each of the two turbines would measure about 4m in diameter, taking up the width of each bay, and about 10m long. They would be visible above the water line with each turbine screw sitting in a steel or concrete ‘cradle’ in the weir bays and resting on the existing submerged concrete apron that extends downstream of the pillars on the weir. There would be a ‘powerhouse’ box that would be adjacent to the existing walkway, between the walkway and the turbines. The existing weir gates in these bays would be removed and replaced with hydraulically operated sluice gates that would be used to isolate the turbines in event of an emergency, service or repair. A hydraulic cylinder of about 20cm in diameter would extend to a height of 4.5m above the level of the existing walkway that would operate the sluice gates. The turbines would operate when water passes down the screws, causing them to rotate at about 20rpm. The electrical and control equipment would be housed in an existing building adjacent to the weir and a transformer compound is also proposed adjacent to this existing building.

5. The applicant indicates that the power generated would serve Windsor Castle. A cable would run from the existing transformer compound on the tip of Romney Island, buried in a shallow trench, then passing under the bed of the Lock Cut and then possibly through an existing culvert which runs beneath the railway and King Edward VII Avenue and from there into the grounds of Windsor Castle.

6. A detailed planning permission has previously been granted on the site for a similar scheme (04/01807/REM) and this planning permission can be implemented, although it’s implementation is time limited. The permission was for two turbines to be installed in the same weir gates as is proposed in the current application. The approved turbines would however be installed below the water line with an end wall, an A-frame lifting beam, penstock valve, pedestrian gantry and fenced transformer enclosure provided above the water line. The scheme as approved would be able to generate 200kW of electrical power.

7. The main issues in determining this application are considered to be:

(i) whether the development would amount to appropriate development in the Green Belt, and if not whether there are nevertheless any very special circumstances that would override the harm caused to the Green Belt by reason of its inappropriateness and any other harm caused by the development;

(iii) the impact on the area liable to flood;

(iv) the appearance of the development;

(v) the impact upon living conditions of nearby occupiers;

(vii) the impact on nearby trees; and

(viii) the ecological impact of the development, for example on the passage of fish in the river.

8. The principle of providing a hydro-electric scheme on the weir has already been established in the original Outline and the recent Reserved Matters (detailed) planning permissions. The current application involves turbines that would generate more power than that approved under the earlier scheme generating 300kW as opposed to 200kW.

9. Government advice in PPS22 ‘Renewable Energy’ sets out national policy on renewable energy. The Government’s energy policy aims to put the UK on a path to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by some 60% by 2050, with real progress by 2020, and to maintain reliable and competitive energy supplies. Increased development of renewable energy resources is considered to be vital in facilitating the delivery of the Government’s commitments on both renewable energy and climate change generally.

10. Policy EN8 of the Berkshire Structure Plan sets out the approach to renewable energy and energy conservation and advises that development proposals for the generation of electricity and heat from renewable sources will be encouraged, provided that any adverse impacts on the landscape, biodiversity and local amenity are avoided.

11. It is considered that there is much policy support to be found both nationally, regionally and locally for this type of development.

13. The site is in a fairly isolated position, being nearly 60m from the closest residential property. The equipment would have not have any significant impact upon residents in Eton by reason of its siting, design, bulk or mass. Local residents have however expressed concerns about the potential noise generated by the proposal.

14. The planning permission for the approved turbines was granted subject to two conditions relating to noise levels on the site. One of these requires that the noise levels measured at the nearest residential boundaries do not, as a result of the development, exceed the International Standards Organisation Noise rating 35 when plotted on an I.S.O noise rating curve chart. The other condition requires a noise monitoring exercise to be carried out following the initial operation of the turbines to demonstrate that the noise levels when measured at the nearest residential boundary do not exceed the specified level.

15. A noise assessment report has been submitted with the current application and the Councils Environmental Protection Officer has been consulted. The noise report concludes that the turbines could be operated to meet a noise rating of either 35 or 40. The Council’s Environmental Protection Officer has suggested the same conditions as imposed on the earlier permission.

16. The concerns of the local residents about noise from this scheme are acknowledged. Taking into account the previously approved scheme and the noise report submitted with the current application, it is considered that it is reasonable to impose the same conditions on any permission, thereby ensuring that the scheme would have an acceptable impact upon the amenities of nearby residents and ensuring than the scheme would have no more of an impact that the previously approved scheme.

17. The site is located within an area affecting the setting of the Thames, and adjacent to two Conservation Areas, it is therefore important that the scheme has an acceptable visual appearance. The site is fairly prominent in views from Windsor Bridge and from other places on the banks of the river. However there is already quite a lot of machinery and plant associated with the weir and the area is not a tranquil riverside location.

18. The equipment approved under the earlier planning permission was of a functional appearance, with the turbines located underwater and some equipment above water level. The proposed equipment is quite striking in its appearance. The Archimedes screw turbine will be clearly visible above water when viewed from downstream. From upstream, the rear of the turbines, a blank ‘wall’, will be visible. It is considered that the modern, bold, functional design of the equipment now proposed will not detract from or harm the setting of the Thames, nor the adjacent Conservation Areas and would appear as a functional addition to the existing weir. The proposed equipment would have an acceptable visual appearance in the locality and no objections are raised to its design, form, bulk, mass or appearance.

19. The small transformer compound adjacent to the existing control room measuring 2m x 2m is proposed. Due to its location adjacent to existing buildings, surrounded by existing trees and vegetation is likely to have a negligible impact on the character and appearance of the area. Plans showing the exact location and size of this compound are awaited.

20. The application is accompanied by an environment report, which addresses the impact on the geology and soils; hydrology and fluvial geomorphology; terrestrial ecology; aquatic ecology and water quality.

21. The earlier permission on the site established that the impact on the wider environmental issues was acceptable. The Environment Agency and Jacobs Ecology have been consulted on the application. Jacobs ecology have advised that there are no concerns about the impact on local fauna.

22. The main changes to the river environment will be the changes in the river environment around the scheme. The submitted information states that in order to take the full 20 m3/s of water through the turbines there would need to be around 40m3/s of total flow available which occurs for over 50% of the year. It was expected that the previously approved scheme would have been able to operate for 65% of the year. At very low total river flows the turbines would not operate, as there is not enough water to sustain turbine minimum flow. Under current circumstances as the river flow increases to 20m3/s the first weir gate would open, however with the hydro plant operating this would not occur until the river flow reached around 40m3/s, resulting the weir gates remaining closed for an additional 25% of the year. However the total amount of water being discharged downstream would not be altered by the scheme, but the water which flows through the turbines will give up most of its lateral energy. For winter flow conditions, when flow through the turbines is a small proportion of total floe, the flow of water passing through the other gates would be broadly similar to current baseline conditions.

23. It is stated in the submitted environmental report that the effects on the geomorphology of the river are unlikely to be significant with possibly a slight deepening in the riverbed immediately downstream of the turbines, and a lessening of seasonal extremes under natural circumstances. Weir pools are likely to remain intact, although their location may move and shallow slightly. The effect of the scheme on geomorphology is likely to be insignificant when compared to the baseline variation experienced in the river as the result of seasonal flows and the variation on the operation of the weir gates.

24. Impact on fish by operation of the turbines has been examined. There is already a fish pass, which allows upstream migration which would not be affected by the proposal. It is advised that most fish are able to pass downstream through the turbines themselves without harm. The applicant has stated that the Environment Agency have advised that an alternative downstream fish pass may be required, details of this are being prepared and will be reported as Late Observations. It is expected that it will be possible to incorporate the fish pass in the scheme as proposed and that details can be dealt with by a condition.

25. The Environment Agency has been consulted on the application, and the full response is awaited. However, it is understood from discussions that they are unlikely to object to the proposal but that they are still considering addendums to the environment report which were submitted and deal with the effect of the development of the flow of water and its effect on navigation, and on the implications for the passage of fish. Subject to consideration of the comments from the EA it is considered that the proposal would be unlikely to have any significant adverse effect on the environment.

26. The proposal would be partially below and partially above the water level. Romney Weir has ten radial gates and the applicant advises that it is significantly oversized compared with other weirs, an effect enhanced by the recent installation of the Jubilee bypass channel. A reduction of two gates, used solely for the hydroelectric generation, is unlikely to compromise the ability of the weir to discharge flood flows, nor affect upstream or downstream water levels outside of normal weir operating limits. This was the view reached under the earlier planning permission ref. 03/83296 on the site. Any response from the EA will be reported as Late Observations.

27. The Arboricultural Officer has been consulted on the application. At the time of writing a response had not been received. When considering the impact of the previous permission ref. 03/83296 on trees in the area, it was considered that the impact from the transformer enclosure and the routing of any cabling could be dealt with by condition. There have been no significant changes to the proposal in terms of its impact on nearby trees and it is not anticipated that any arboricultural concerns will be raised. Any response from the Arboricultural Officer will be reported as Late Observations.

28. There is no vehicular access to Romney Island. The applicant has advised that the majority of the works will be carried out from floating pontoons that would be positioned close to the weir and that it is likely that all heavy materials, including the turbines themselves, will be transported to the site by barge and lifted into place by crane. Planning permission ref. 03/83296 included a condition requiring a method statement for the vehicle movements to be provided to deal with construction workers traffic and parking, lorry routes and the hours of construction. It is considered reasonable to impose this condition on this new permission to ensure that the impact on the road network is managed as far as is practicable.

29. Planning permission has already been granted to install two hydroelectric turbines on the weir. This application seeks planning permission to install turbines of a different design and which would generate more power than that approved.

30. The principle of renewable energy is fully supported from national to local level and the proposal would provide significant benefit to the wider environment. It is considered that the modern, functional design of the turbines would have no significant adverse effect upon the appearance of the area. Due to their relatively isolated location and on the weir then, subject to certain conditions, the proposal would not have any significant adverse impact upon the living conditions of nearby occupiers.

31. The formal response from the Environment Agency is awaited although it is understood that the proposal is unlikely to have an adverse impact and, subject to the consideration of the EA’s formal response, it is considered that the proposal would accord with the relevant policies in the Development Plan.