What About the Environment?

The scheme is located on the site of Torr Mill, a textile mill built in 1790 which was destroyed in a fire in 1912. The turbine actually sits in location of the original mill pit, where the water wheel would have been sited. Some of the original stones from the mill pit now line the surroundings of the turbine.

The scheme has been built using local stone and is designed to blend into its post-industrial location. Careful landscaping and the provision of two picnic tables have enhanced the amenity of the site.

Torrs Hydro works very closely with the Environment Agency, the guardian of the nation's rivers. They funded the fish pass incorporated into the scheme to allow upstream access for migratory fish. This will help the salmon which now enter the Mersey, downstream of the Goyt, access more spawning grounds.

The slow rotating nature of the turbine itself is inherently fish friendly. There is no need to screen fish as they can pass through the turbine unharmed. Click here to see video evidence of this suprising but true fact.

Water flow is controlled to ensure the weir does not run dry. By virtue of our regular visits to the site, the volunteers of Torrs Hydro were able to alert the Environments Agency to a spillage of red diesel into the River Sett upstream of the site in autumn 2009, hopefully averting a serious contamination event