FORTY homes in the Killington area could soon be getting power from a new micro-hydro scheme.

South Lakeland District Council has agreed to buy the land needed for the £30,000 scheme and transfer it to a community group running the project.

Killington and District Sustainable Energy Trust (K-SET) wants to install a 'screw turbine' at the Broad Raine Weir on the River Lune.

A report to SLDC's Cabinet said feasibility studies show the scheme “appears to be technically viable and would make a meaningful contribution, at a local community scale, to the UK's government commitment to a lower carbon intensity energy supply.’’

The site is currently owned by the Environment Agency, which has declared the land surplus and is advertising it for sale on the government’s surplus asset portal.

This means only government bodies, including local authorities like SLDC, can buy the land and it is not available for general sale.

SLDC's Cabinet has agreed to buy the site, valued at £30,000, and sell-on to K-SET for the same price to allow the project to proceed.

A report to Cabinet noted the K-SET scheme would have a ‘positive social and environmental impact’, including maintaining the ecology of the river by upgrading the fish pass at the weir and using some of the income from the hydro project to help with the installation of carbon reducing measures such as bio-mass boilers.

Maureen Lamb, secretary of K-SET, said: “We are a small farming village of only about 160 inhabitants, with no bus service, no shops and with five, six or seven miles to travel to the nearest place, Sedbergh, for services.

“The Killington Sustainable Energy Trust is trying to cut down the carbon footprint of the village in all kinds of ways, including insulating houses, installing solar panels, converting to bio-mass boilers and so on.

“With the River Lune on our doorstep and its weir at Broad Raine, we realised that the acquisition of the site from SLDC would give us a great opportunity to save carbon-based energy. We want to show that even a small village can make a difference if the will is there. "

Council leader Peter Thornton said: “This is a fantastic community-led scheme and we are delighted to be able to support the project by agreeing to purchase and transfer the site to K-SET.

“As a council we are committed to protecting and enhancing our environment and our updated Council Plan includes aims to reduce carbon emissions and to support our communities to become more energy efficient. Hydro power schemes such as this one can offer green, long-term solutions to some of our energy supply needs.

“This is another great example of the council’s ‘More Local’ commitment to work in partnership with South Lakeland communities on meaningful projects that make a real difference.’’