MP Philip Davies backs campaign against Saltaire water turbine (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Friends of Roberts Park pleased with support
9:00am Thursday 22nd November 2012 in News
By Chris Tate, T&A Reporter
Saltaire History Club member Dave Shaw at the site
Shipley MP Philip Davies has pledged his support for campaigners fighting plans to install a water turbine at historic Roberts Park in Saltaire.
In a letter to Sharon Ashton, chairman of the Friends of Roberts Park – which is strongly against the proposed turbine – Mr Davies stated his own opposition to the project.
“I very much agree with you about this issue and I will do all I can to help and support you,” wrote Mr Davies.
He will be asking Bradford Council to answer the arguments against the hydro-power scheme put forward by the Friends of Roberts Park, Saltaire Village Society and the Saltaire History Club.
“Mr Davies’s letter is a really positive thing for us,” Mrs Ashton said.
“Saltaire is a World Heritage Site and this is a plan to put in a big industrial turbine.
“We have felt a little bit like lone voices and so it’s good to have support from someone with such high profile as Mr Davies.
“At the moment we are waiting to see what happens when the planning application actually goes in, which is due to be early in the New Year.”
Mrs Ashton’s group is running an internet petition on Bradford Council’s website and also writing an online blog entitled “Saltaire Screwed”.
One of the other opponents, Saltaire History Club, recently declared its opposition to the proposal which member Dave Shaw likened to putting solar panels on the Pyramids.
The Council argues the £1.2 million turbine could cut carbon emissions by 23,000 tonnes over the next 40 years, and would “pay for itself” after ten years.
Roberts Park was set up by Sir Titus Salt in the 1870s and bought by Sir James Roberts in 1891. He then handed it to Bradford Council in 1920.
Descendants of both men have signed a petition to stop the turbine’s construction.
Comments(28)
johnhem
says...
10:51am Thu 22 Nov 12
things change in 140 years since salt set up roberts park, we can't stay in the dark ages. we need to know more before realistic comments can be made. if this turbine can be made very low key as far as spoiling the view is concerned then i see no problem with it. a small building at the side of the river that can blend in well would be fine, i'd rather look at that than a **** great wind turbine in the park, THAT would be worth moaning about.
Walruss
says...
11:06am Thu 22 Nov 12
johnhem wrote:You really should keep up.
just how big is this turbine, and where does it state exactly what this turbine is going to power?
things change in 140 years since salt set up roberts park, we can't stay in the dark ages. we need to know more before realistic comments can be made. if this turbine can be made very low key as far as spoiling the view is concerned then i see no problem with it. a small building at the side of the river that can blend in well would be fine, i'd rather look at that than a **** great wind turbine in the park, THAT would be worth moaning about.
From T and A 21 JUNE 2012
The proposals 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.
The construction and operating costs for the first 20 years of the project would be about £1.22 million.
The report comes after environmental group Sustainable Saltaire commissioned a study into the possibility of building a hydropower generator at Hirst Mill Weir in Shipley.
The generator would also use an Archimedes Screw-type turbine to provide 84KW of power – enough to provide electricity to about 100 homes.
Google is your friend for more.
angry bradfordian
says...
11:30am Thu 22 Nov 12
If it hadn't been for our city forefathers introducing new technology and ideas, Saltaire wouldn't even be there now!
Unless the council's artists impressions are misleading it doesn't look much different to the weir that's there now.
yorkshiredude
says...
11:39am Thu 22 Nov 12
Prisoner Cell Block A
says...
11:43am Thu 22 Nov 12
RonnieBarker
says...
12:05pm Thu 22 Nov 12
http://www.thetelegr
aphandargus.co.uk/ar
chive/2012/11/21/Bra
dford+News+%28bradfo
rd_news%29/10059501.
Up_to_136_Bradford_C
ouncil_workers__jobs
_at_risk/
RonnieBarker
says...
12:05pm Thu 22 Nov 12
http://www.thetelegr
aphandargus.co.uk/ar
chive/2012/11/21/Bra
dford+News+%28bradfo
rd_news%29/10059501.
Up_to_136_Bradford_C
ouncil_workers__jobs
_at_risk/
RonnieBarker
says...
12:05pm Thu 22 Nov 12
http://www.thetelegr
aphandargus.co.uk/ar
chive/2012/11/21/Bra
dford+News+%28bradfo
rd_news%29/10059501.
Up_to_136_Bradford_C
ouncil_workers__jobs
_at_risk/
Bone_idle18
says...
12:07pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Bone_idle18
says...
12:14pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Ian Eiloart
says...
1:08pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Prisoner Cell Block A
says...
1:59pm Thu 22 Nov 12
johnhem
says...
2:09pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Walruss wrote:can't be expected to remember everything from nearly six months ago wally.
johnhem wrote:You really should keep up.
just how big is this turbine, and where does it state exactly what this turbine is going to power?
things change in 140 years since salt set up roberts park, we can't stay in the dark ages. we need to know more before realistic comments can be made. if this turbine can be made very low key as far as spoiling the view is concerned then i see no problem with it. a small building at the side of the river that can blend in well would be fine, i'd rather look at that than a **** great wind turbine in the park, THAT would be worth moaning about.
From T and A 21 JUNE 2012
The proposals 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.
The construction and operating costs for the first 20 years of the project would be about £1.22 million.
The report comes after environmental group Sustainable Saltaire commissioned a study into the possibility of building a hydropower generator at Hirst Mill Weir in Shipley.
The generator would also use an Archimedes Screw-type turbine to provide 84KW of power – enough to provide electricity to about 100 homes.
Google is your friend for more.
seems a lot of effort though for only enough to supply 100 houses.
i half caught something similar on last nights news about the same type of screw being placed in a river somewhere (wife was about to change channels so i missed most of it) though i got the impression it was to power the mill at the side of the river. could be wrong only seeing a bit of the report.
spinnekop
says...
3:46pm Thu 22 Nov 12
gov.uk/bmdc/the_envi
ronment/climate_chan
ge/Hydro_Power_Schem
e
there is an artist i,pression of how little the impact will be at the above link. Obviously there would be some disrubtion during construction but after that just geeral sevicing. This really isn'y the monster it is being made out to be.
Davies should stick to what he is good at, calling for hanging to be returned and disabled people to be treat like slaves.
Why not build the Hirst mill turbine project and give every resident within a 2 mile radius who aproves the planning for that a life time 20% discount on electricity bills. See how many disaprove the salts mill turbne then after they see what little impact it has and the good it does. Nothing but short sighted ostritch thinking sheep!
RonnieBarker
says...
3:58pm Thu 22 Nov 12
This is much more a case of 'green sheep' who accept this scheme at face value and don't think about what the actual reality of this project will mean for our WHS and conservation area.
angry bradfordian
says...
4:14pm Thu 22 Nov 12
RonnieBarker wrote:What exactly will it mean for the conservation area?
'Ostrich thinking sheep'who have spent the past six months doing research, into something they care passionately about. This is a token vanity scheme that breaks all the legislation that is there to protect Saltaire.
This is much more a case of 'green sheep' who accept this scheme at face value and don't think about what the actual reality of this project will mean for our WHS and conservation area.
Other than silly statements about solar panels on The Pyramids (I could understand that if they were putting a wind turbine on top of the mill or something similar) I haven't read anything that explains what the actual adverse affects of the scheme are.
cockadoodledo
says...
5:43pm Thu 22 Nov 12
However Titus was a great innovator and would be delighted to see new technology being introduced next to his mill, again making good and effective use of natures energy as he did.
I am not able to understand why our local MP wishes to object to the introduction of modern technology that will be sympathetically designed and installed and in time will pay for itself many times over. The only reason the MP must be objecting must be crosses on paper which is just plain stupid.
He need to move into the 21st Century and not be living in the past. What next close Leeds/Bradford Airport and the railways. Whilst Saltaire is a World Heritage centre we cannot just live in the past we must move forward. Who knows it could well become a tourist attraction.
The Council needs to look at a similar device at Hirst Wood weir as well.
If the MP wishes do something really useful he should help sort out the hole in the middle of Bradford."
RonnieBarker
says...
6:08pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Albion.
says...
7:45pm Thu 22 Nov 12
RonnieBarker wrote:"whole" what?
Wasn't the 'bradford whole'another great piece of progress and innovation from BDMC? Surely the money being spent on this scheme would be better spent on the 'bradford whole', the odeon or indeed saving council workers jobs or care homes ?
Bingobing
says...
9:21pm Thu 22 Nov 12
RonnieBarker
says...
10:11pm Thu 22 Nov 12
This scheme sprang out of residents desire in 2005 to re-instate power production in New Mill. This idea was meant to benefit residents of Riverside court and saltaire. Surely re-instating power production to Titus's original vision, under New Mill would be much more sympathic to the design and heritage of Saltaire? Perhaps not such a good photo opportunity for BDMC, who far despite requests by Saltaire Village society have refused to examine the feasibility of a New Mill hydro scheme.
ashwellpatient
says...
11:31pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Prisoner Cell Block A wrote:Of course Titus would approve ..heritage needs to be living heritage. BMDC should create opportunity for local people to invest in the scheme via a Community Share issue as they have done in Stockport and are doing in Sheffield
Times change, things change. What is actually the bigger issue here is the NIMBYS won't want local residents(bit of a contradiction I know) installing satellite dishes etc. Cos oce this gets rubber stamped they won't have much recourse to complain about other modern installations.
RonnieBarker
says...
8:52am Fri 23 Nov 12
RollandSmoke
says...
3:10pm Fri 23 Nov 12
InterestedLocal76
says...
6:15pm Sun 25 Nov 12
InterestedLocal76
says...
6:24pm Sun 25 Nov 12
RonnieBarker wrote:New Mill scheme would likely require a fish pass on the park side anyway. Disruption & claimed visual impact would not go away with that option!
New mill is where it is precisely because Titus embraced hydro power. This scheme sprang out of residents desire in 2005 to re-instate power production in New Mill. This idea was meant to benefit residents of Riverside court and saltaire. Surely re-instating power production to Titus's original vision, under New Mill would be much more sympathic to the design and heritage of Saltaire? Perhaps not such a good photo opportunity for BDMC, who far despite requests by Saltaire Village society have refused to examine the feasibility of a New Mill hydro scheme.
Also, where is the public amenity and education value of a scheme hidden on private property? We need to educate the next generation on the dangers of climate change and maximise any opportunity we have. The added value in the New Mill option is less than the park-side option.
RonnieBarker
says...
11:41am Wed 28 Nov 12
When will we get some honesty? This is a political vanity project with no real green value.
Albion. says...
10:39am Thu 22 Nov 12
It's certainly positive for Mr Davies, he tends to jump aboard any bandwagon that keeps his name to the fore.