WATER power is set to be harnessed by an environment-conscious householder to generate green electricity for his home – and help play his part in tackling climate change.

While growing numbers of homeowners are installing domestic wind turbines to lower their carbon footprint, retired environmental worker Bob Hull has turned to a hydro-system as his preferred method of supporting renewable energy.

Mr Hull wants to use the water flowing down the Cockshaw Burn, a tributary of the River Tyne which runs past his garden, to generate electricity for the house in Allendale Road, Hexham, Northumberland where he lives with his wife Christine.

He wants to heighten an existing stone-built weir across the burn, and install a small hydro turbine together with a control sluice made of treated timber.

Power generated by the turbine would be fed into his garage via an underground cable, and would meet all of his domestic electricity needs as well as producing a surplus for the national grid.

Mr Hull, 62, a former environment policy director with the European Commission in Brussels, has applied for planning permission to the county council, after protracted discussions with the Environment Agency about his proposal.

This week councillors will be recommended by officers to support his application, which has sparked objections from almost 30 local residents, 26 of whom live in retirement homes at neighbouring Maidens Croft run by the Home Housing Group. They are concerned about potential noise nuisance from the turbine, the possibility of increased flood risk in the burn and the impact on the look of the area and its wildlife.

The scheme involves raising the height of the existing weir across the Cockshaw Burn, next to an 8ft-high waterfall, by about half a metre to house the turbine and associated equipment.

Yesterday Mr Hull, who is active in the Hexham Community Partnership, said he believes the plan will have virtually no impact on neighbours, the environment or the watercourse.

He said: “I have this burn running down past my garden to the Tyne and it is a potential source of power.

“I had looked at solar and wind power, neither of which are really suitable where we are near Hexham town centre, but did some investigation and found there was a product on the market for hydro power.

“It seems to me that this is far more effective and efficient than wind or anything else, and will give a constant supply of power. I have assured the Environment Agency that it will not cause a flood risk or problems for fish and other wildlife. I have also tried to reassure local people that noise will be minimal. At a time when everyone is encouraging low carbon footprints, I feel this scheme is really a good example.”

If Mr Hull gets planning permission, he will still have to persuade the Home Housing Group to allow him to build the weir extension into land it owns on the other side of the burn.

He said: “I am waiting to hear from them but if they refuse permission I will have to find another way of doing this, because I am determined to make it happen now.”

A report to the council's west area planning committee on Thursday says noise from the hydro turbine will produce a decibel level similar to that of a normal speaking voice, and is unlikely to cause a nuisance to neighbours.