People
In May we welcomed our new Project Manager, James Heather, who will be working with us for two days a week. He will be concentrating on Jordan Dam hydro, finalising the agreements and getting documents ready for the invitation to tender. James brings with him considerable hydro experience from his lead role in the Ham Hydro project on the river Thames.
There have also been some changes to the Management Group. We are pleased to announce that Richard Collins is now taking the role of Chair. We are also delighted that Alison Parker is joining the Management Group. Alison has been heavily involved in the project management of the Jordan Dam scheme over the last year or so, and we are confident she will make a valuable contribution to our management team.
General Manager
We are currently advertising for a General Manager to start in August to take forward the Share Offer. The post is initially for 3 months, with the possibility of extending it to one year depending on funding. It will be 4 days a week, with a salary of £31,000 pro rata. Full details are on our website.
Jordan Dam
WONDERFUL NEWS !!! We received our Abstraction Licence from the Environment Agency at the beginning of May. This is a big step forward for the project. As part of the Licence, we have agreed to develop a fish pass at Jordan Dam weir. Once built, it will mean that fish will be able to migrate upstream, which they cannot do at present, thus creating a significant ecological benefit for the river.
We have identified a storm water drain on the Jordan Dam site. Keith, Graham and Richie have been working to establish the location of the drain and are working with Yorkshire Water to incorporate protection of the drain into the scheme design.
A draft agreement with British Waterways, for us to connect the scheme to the river, has been reviewed by our volunteers and our legal team. We hope to finalise this agreement in the next couple of months.
Kelham Island
The FAQs on how the environment and ecology is being considered as part of the scheme development are now up on the website. See Projects – Kelham Island – FAQs.
Steve’s fantastic model has been wowing people at Sheffield Pride and at Peace in the Park.
Share Offer
Plans for our community share offer are continuing, and we hope to launch it in September. As part of our preparations we are close to completing the Business Case for the Jordan Dam project, which includes detailed financial projections for the scheme.
Model Making
The cover is now on the Jordan Dam model so it will be much easier to transport to the festivals, and we won’t have to worry about rain damage. The Archimedes screw is working much better now that we have a tray underneath to collect the water-filled balls. There is still some work to be done on the bike generator.
Waterpower Walk, Sunday, May 27th
We had a beautiful day for our walk, with about 15 of us following the Don from Kelham Island to Jordan Dam along the Five Weirs walk. It was an enjoyable day, and great to bring a group of water power enthusiasts together to talk about the history of water power in Sheffield. Many thanks to Mark for leading the walk, and to David for his help.
Events
- Saturday, June 30th 11 am – 5 pm: Green Fair at St Mary’s, Bramall Lane. We shall be having a stall.
- Friday, July 13th 7.30 pm: Café Politique – Jobs and Growth in a Low Carbon Economy. Caroline Flint, MP, Shadow Secretary for Energy and Climate Change will be leading a debate. Harland Cafe, 72 John St, S2 4QU. 0114 273 8553. Tickets £6 including light supper after the debate. Includes £2 donation to Sheffield Renewables. You need to get your ticket in advance. The last event was sold out.