THE developer for the planned installation of a hydro-electric plant at Huckworthy Mill at Sampford Spiney this week refuted claims that it would be detrimental to the environment.

Clean Green Power (South West) Ltd, a Newton Abbot-based company which specialises in small hydro-electric schemes, has submitted a revised application to Dartmoor National Park Authority, It goes before the development management committee tomorrow (Friday).

CGP hit back at those campaigning against its scheme on the River Walkham who claim it would have a baleful effect on migratory fish such as trout and salmon, the amount of water abstracted from the river and its visual impact.

They were backed by the owners of the privately owned stretch of river, Maristow Estates, who said 'they would not countenance any project that had a deleterious effect on the ecology of the River Walkham or a major change in its character'.

Joseph Hess, agent for Maristow Estates, said: 'It seems inconceivable that the Environment Agency, who after all are the guardians of our inland and coastal waters, would have granted a license to abstract water if it would mean damaging the ecology of the river.'

Mr Hess added that failure to address these issues would lead to the natural progressive collapse of the weir and the eventual loss in its entirety of the historic asset.

Tim Abrahall, a co-director of CGP said the proposed fish pass has the backing of the Environment Agency and the South West Rivers Association, who acknowledged that the existing arrangement is inadequate.

The EA has granted a ten-year license (with a presumption for renewal) to CGP to abstract water from the river.

Abstraction is not an issue being debated by the DNPA committee, but CGP refutes claims by objectors that the amount of abstraction could be up to 1,100 litres per second, similar to the flow taken from the River Tavy at Abbey Weir for the Tavistock Canal.

Mr Abrahall said 'more than 50% of the river flow will be diverted on a few days of the year when the river is in high flow due to the nature of the Walkham being a spate river, like many on Dartmoor.'

He said the abstractions on the Tavy provide enough water to produce 3,240 kilowatt of power per annum compared with the scheme on the Walkham which will produce an average of 50 kilowatt.

The maximum output of the hydro electric generator will be 100kw, enough to power 100+ homes or 15% to 20% of the houses in Walkhampton village, reducing the amount of C02 pumped into the atmosphere by 200 tonnes a year.

Mr Abrahall said the scheme was 'very much in keeping with the ethos of maintaining sustainable human activity on Dartmoor.'

But those campaigning against the scheme say they stand by their previously published statistics.

Riparian owners on the opposite side of the river to the proposed scheme Andrew Joynson and Pam Haywood deny their claims opposing the plans are 'sensational'.

They said:'More than half the river will be diverted into the leat whenever the total river flow is between 0.866 m3/s and 1.1m3/s in early winter and between 0.866m3/s and 2.2m3/s at other times.

'Environment Agency daily flow statistics for 1975-2009 confirm there would have been 100 such days each year‚ hardly a "few".'

'The claim that this would only occur during high flows or spates is also incorrect. The full 1,100 litres per second, similar to the Tavistock Canal, would be abstracted on 60 days in an average year.'

'This scale of diversion will permanently change the character of the river, as the developer's own impact assessment confirms.'­

The opponents argue that while the EA has issued a licence, this does not mean the scheme is innocuous.

Mr Joynson and Miss Hayward concluded: 'The existing fish pass, to quote the SWRA, is "less than ideal," but it is effective and the EA had no plans to upgrade it prior to this application. The new fish pass is only required due to the impact of the scheme.

They fear its construction and its associated diversion channel, will necessitate the near-total demolition of the boulder weir.

The majority of the boulder weir is intact; as a recognised heritage asset, representative of a threatened historic form say objectors and 'it should be restored rather than demolished'.