By John Wimperis, Local Democracy Reporter: Bath’s iconic Pulteney Weir could be used to generate electricity for the city in what the council leader has said is “the most exciting and ambitious inner city hydroelectric project in Europe.”
Built in its current shape in the early 1970s, the V-shaped three stepped weir is today almost as much of a Bath landmark as the historic Pulteney Bridge it lies in front of. The Pulteney Radial Gate, the sluice gate which is able to let more water downstream to avoid flooding, was built at the same time but is now nearing the end of its life
Replacing the radial sluice gate has long been discussed. Now Bath and North East Somerset Council is set to undertake a feasibility study for replacing it with a small hydroelectric scheme to generate power for nearby council buildings.
Council leader Kevin Guy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The money has been allocated to look at the feasibility of removing the current sluice gate and replacing it with a gate that can produce enough hydroelectricity to heat the Guildhall, Guildhall Market, Victoria Art Gallery, and — crucially — the leisure centre and its heated pool.
“This feasibility study is the most exciting and ambitious inner city hydroelectric project in Europe and it is part of our commitment for the council estate to be carbon neutral by 2030.”
Making the council’s estate carbon neutral means that Bath and North East Somerset Council needs to be generating 12MW of renewable energy by 2030, the amount needed to make up for that used by council buildings and vehicles. But Bath is no stranger to looking to its landmarks to help it generate energy.
Heat exchange blades installed in the city’s world famous Roman Baths use the heat from the city’s natural hot springs to provide heating for the Roman Baths and Pump Rooms complex and the Bath World Heritage Centre. Since 2021, energy from the water has been used for the underfloor heating in Bath Abbey.
At the council’s cabinet meeting on February 25 where the council set its budget for the next year, deputy council leader Sarah Warren said the council would be looking at the feasibility of the hydroelectric project replacing sluice gate. She said the council would allocate £50k for the next five years to fund its renewable energy development manager — a specific post at the council to find opportunities for renewable energy to bid for funding for.
Ms Warren, who is also the council’s cabinet member for climate emergency and sustainable travel, told the meeting that they had already delivered 1.5MW of electricity generation through rooftop solar projects, and installed heat pumps to two council care homes. She said: “This is a really positive investment in our pathway to net zero.”
She added: “We continue to investigate all other options such as solar ports on our Park and Ride car parks, which have frustratingly not yet proven financially viable but may yet do as prices and the regulatory environment change.”
The council is also funding the replacement of its bin and recycling lorries over the next few years. They will be replaced with electric vehicles charged by the solar panels on the new Keynsham Recycling Centre.
The investment in renewables comes at a time when demands are increasing on council budgets across the country. But it is expected that using power that the council itself has generated will deliver savings on energy costs. The council’s budget for 2025/26 — which passed by 36 votes to eight, with seven abstentions — increases council tax by the maximum 4.99% possible as the council deals with a “significant and unpredictable” bill for social care.
Council cabinet member for resources Mark Elliott said: “I’m proud of the fact that this administration cares deeply about social care and will make sure the funding is in place to meet the needs of adults and children who desperately need support.
“Despite these challenges, we have managed to carve out some funding for priorities we set in our manifesto back in 2023, such as ‘clean and green’ funding to tackle weeds, graffiti and litter and improving road safety with speed indicator signage and school street schemes.”
But the Green group on the council, who proposed an amendment which was voted down, abstained from the vote on the budget and said it lacked “bold action.” Joanna Wright, who leads the group of three councillors, said: “The budget is full of piecemeal fixes that fail to address long-term challenges, such as improving public transport, creating liveable neighbourhoods, or ensuring sustainable development.”
This is not the first time that a hydroelectric scheme at Pulteney Weir has been considered. In 2013, the idea was floated of installing an Archimedes’ screw-style hydroelectric generator at the weir. The idea then was that it could generate enough electricity to power the city’s Christmas lights.
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