Hydro-electric plant starting up

Betsy and Robert Bell, of the Langcliffe Hall estate, have created the 40kW micro-scale hydro scheme which will generate energy to power the equivalent of a dozen homes.

The project cost about £150,000 to install, a third of which was funded by a grant from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust with the remainder paid for by the couple.

But Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority chiefs warned last month that similar schemes could be placed under threat as funding from the public sector and charities has dried up. Mrs Bell said such plants provided a vital a source of renewable energy, and added: “Investment in renewable energy is not only a sound diversification project for farmers and landowners, but also crucial for securing a cost-effective energy supply for the future.”

The plant is powered by water flowing down the valley above Halton Gill.