Anglers celebrate after hydropower scheme is shelved on salmon river

Environmentalists were concerned about the plans for the River Tyne at Hexham, and the county council listened.

A salmon leaps up the weir on the Tyne at Hexham in Northumberland, where plans for a hydropower plant have been shelved (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)

Environmentalists and anglers have welcomed the decision to shelve plans for a hydropower scheme on one of England’s most important salmon rivers.

A hydropower project on the River Tyne next to Hexham Bridge, close to a fish pass, has been “paused” by Northumberland County Council (NCC).

It had planned to use the £1.8million scheme to provide electricity for the town’s leisure centre, improving the council’s carbon footprint.

But opponents were alarmed it could cause harm to migrating fish and damage the overall biodiversity in the Tyne which has improved in recent years after decades of industrial pollution.

Phil Adams, of Salmon and Trout Conservation Northumbria, said: “All those concerned for the welfare of the River Tyne and its ecology will have breathed a sigh of relief at the news that this project has been paused.

“We are delighted that we have been able to engage in productive meetings with Northumberland County Council and pleased to have received a commitment to engage stakeholders at an early stage in the future.”

Ceri Gibson, Chief Executive Officer at Tyne Rivers Trust said: “Hydropower can be a good form of sustainable energy in the right location.

“Unfortunately, I believe Hexham Bridge is not the right location for the proposed scheme and could cause long-term damage to the river ecosystem.

“As an environmental charity we are keen to see sustainable energy generation and innovative solutions to reducing energy consumption but only where this does not do more harm than the predicted benefit.

“We are pleased that other carbon-reducing ideas will now be explored.”

Charlie Cooper, chairman of Hexham Anglers’ Association, said: “The Tyne is now the best salmon fishery in England whilst still recovering from decades of industrial pollution.

“Ensuring that this transformation is not threatened is paramount.”

In a letter announcing the decision, council leader Coun Glen Sanderson, said: “We would like to acknowledge the extremely valid concerns of various stakeholders who have committed to engaging with NCC over the course of this project about the potential impacts on the local environment and ecology of the river.”

Every year, salmon and sea trout are seen leaping the weir just below Hexham Bridge, which is a grade two listed structure, completed in 1793.

The Tyne and its main tributaries, the North and South Tyne, is now visited by anglers from all over the world after its recovery from the effects of industrial pollution.

Recently it has featured in episodes of Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing.