Whalley Community Hydro work on site starting today

Civil engineers are on site today – day 1 – to start preliminaries. Later this week the track will be laid across the field and the works compound set up. Next they will install the coffer dam and excavate the channel which will take water from the river above the weir and put it back below the weir. The Archimedean screw is expected in August and completion in October depending on the weather. Chris

Funds raised

Whalley Community Hydro share issue has raised £432,000. Over three quarters of the 216 investors are local to East Lancashire and most of the rest are from the NW of England. The Charity Bank has agreed a loan of £400,000 (see http://bit.ly/1fx8Yjf) so construction can start in May 2014.

Green Party leader to visit Whalley Community Hydro

The Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett, is visiting Whalley Community Hydro on Thursday 30 January at 11 am, meeting at the weir on the Whalley side of the river down Calder Vale off King Street.

TV interview Wednesday 11 Dec, 6.30 pm BBC 1 NW Tonight

Graham Sowter, Whalley Hydro director, is interviewed talking about the project.

Whalley has more time to raise £400,000 for hydro electric bid

Whalley Hydro share offer extended

The share offer will continue to be open until Wednesday 11 December. We scheduled three weeks for the offer but this turned out to be too ambitious. Over £281,000 raised in three weeks is pretty good going. We are well on the way to the £400,000 we need to attract a bank loan to enable us to go ahead with placing the contract for construction.

What are the benefits of Whalley Hydro?

It will: generate green electricity. contribute to energy security, helping us to be more resilient in the face of problems of energy supply. contribute to reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and carbon emissions. be owned and run by local people as a social enterprise. provide income which will be distributed locally to increase renewable energy supplies e.g. for community buildings and people in fuel poverty. be available for parties of school children to visit where ...

Investment by instalments and group purchases

Guardian showcases Whalley Hydro share offer

The Guardian Online has an article on the share offer at

SEIS clarification