Residents of Culham and Sutton Courtney look likely to be successful in being allowed to generate electricity from the River Thames at Sutton Pools.
The Abingdon Hydro project did not go ahead a year ago because quotes for building the hydro came in well above the budgeted figures, and time was running to start generating electricity in time to get a preferential tariff from central government. As a result the local people who invested in the scheme got most of their money back.
Looking at the almost complete Culham / Sutton Courteney project you can see they have been allowed to put three turbines in a far more central position as part of the existing weir (Abingdon Hydro were allowed two turbines at the side).
The Culham project also has better access with a temporary road across the fields; and behind the project is a local professional company, Hallidays Hydropower, based in Dorchester-on-Thames, who have undertaken other projects since being set up in 2007.
The fish pass also looks far simpler than the one designed for the Abingdon Hydro where less room was allowed.
