Renewable energy project proposed for popular lido

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans have emerged for a hydroelectric renewable energy scheme which would provide power for a Welsh county’s lido.

There is a planning application and a listed building consent application at Treforest Weir in the River Taff between the A4054 (Cardiff Road) and the B4595 (Forest Road) just south of the Broadway and Glyntaff Interchange in Treforest.

The proposed development would use water from the River Taff to provide a substantial proportion of the electricity demands of the National Lido of Wales in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd.

Details submitted with the application indicate that the proposed hydroelectric scheme would have a total installed capacity of 215-300kW (kiloWatts).

The proposed hydroelectric scheme would mainly make use of the existing weir and peripheral structures at the site but a new hydraulic channel would be built adjacent to the weir, on the western bank of the river.

This would replace an existing fish pass and intake sluice. The existing weir and fish pass is designated as a listed building so listed building consent is being applied for too.

A planning report says a new vehicle access would be created off the B4595 in order to enable the initial construction of the hydroelectric scheme and allow for future maintenance requirements of the site.

It also says an existing business to the north of the site, Riverbank Car Sales, would be impacted by the proposed works and that the existing use of the site would have to temporarily stop to enable the hydroelectric scheme to be developed.

The report says that the existing garage building would need to be
demolished and the land used for both access and as a construction compound.

The works include a debris screen, intake screen and head race channel, Kaplan hydroelectric turbine and turbine house, outfall and outfall screens, a replacement fish pass, electricity cable and transformer substation buildings and access.

Objections

One letter of objection has been received which says the proposal includes the demolition of an adjacent business premises which would take away the owners’ livelihood should permission be granted.

It says this is having a detrimental effect on the business owners’ mental health.

The objection says that discussions with RCT’s corporate estates team are vague and no offer has yet been made.

It also says the existing garage site is narrow and would be impossible to run should the business owner have to give up any part of the business.

And it says there are no other premises available in the locality with planning permission for vehicle sales.

Planning officers

But in recommending approval for the planning application, planning officers say that: “The proposed hydroelectric scheme would make use of an existing watercourse and would generate electricity for use by the National Lido for Wales in Ynysangharad War Memorial Park in Pontypridd.

“This would go some way in helping to meet Welsh Government’s renewable energy targets of generating 70% of Wales’s electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2030.

“The scheme is considered to be modest in terms of its scale and would have very little impact on the character and appearance of the surrounding area given that the site is not particularly visible from the surrounding area.

“The turbine itself would be housed within a turbine house which is considered visually acceptable and in context with the existing weir and fish pass at the site.

“Furthermore, the development would have little impact on surrounding residential properties and the proposed access to the site is also considered acceptable.”

Listed building 

On the listed building consent application, officers say: “While there are concerns regarding the direct impact of the works on the heritage asset, these are mitigated by the benefits of the renewable energy scheme, the reversibility of the works and the maintenance and preservation of the majority of the original Victorian heritage asset.

“Therefore, and on balance, the application for listed building consent is considered to be acceptable, subject to standard conditions, the conditions specified by Heneb and the favourable referral of the LBC application to Cadw.”

Both the planning application and listed building consent application are scheduled to go before Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) planning committee on Thursday, April 16.