Planning permission and licences
Developing a hydroelectric system can take a long time, mainly because of the need to obtain planning permission and an abstraction licence, and because of the number of organisations that may need to be involved in giving consent. All new hydroelectric systems require planning permission and an abstraction licence.
Planning permission
You will need planning permission to install any domestic or community hydroelectric system, even a small scheme to power a single home. You should contact your local authority at an early stage. The Planning Office will be able to advise you on other organisations that need to be consulted - such as the Environment Agency - and the process you need to go through.
Abstraction licence
All new hydroelectric systems need an abstraction licence from the Environment Agency (or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to take water out of a stream, even though the water will be put back into the stream almost immediately. This is mainly to ensure that there are no undue environmental impacts on the ecosystem of the stream and its surroundings.
There is a fee to apply for the licence, and an annual fee for renewing it. To find out more, contact the Environment Agency or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
