THE Whalley Community Hydro Project has started generating electricity for the first time.

The announcement comes after a more than four year battle to raise the necessary funds, gain planning permission and to finally start construction.

Tests were completed late last week including on the special water gates that control the flow of the River Calder to the massive Archimedean screw, which will produce the power.

The metal piles installed to protect the 12-metre long 13-ton mechanism installed in September have been removed for the water to start turning the £200,000 equipment.

Eventually the scheme will generate 100kW of hydro-electric energy from the river as the weight of the flowing water turns the screw.

The money from the sales to the National Grid will then be reinvested in the village in other projects such as installing solar panels.

Around £475,000 has been raised out of the total £750,000 cost through a share issue.

The screw, which is 3.6 metres in diameter, is designed to improve the ecology of the river as it incorporates an improved fish pass, allowing fish to travel upstream more easily to access the upper reaches of the river.

The project was set up in February 2010 with Longridge-based William Pye taking charge of the civil engineering.

Project director Chris Gathercole said: "It's a historic day for Whalley and it is the culmination of more than four years of an enormous amount of work.

"Everybody involved have really pulled together and we have had a lot of support from residents as well.

"We have a lease for 99 years and I don't see why this project will not still be around then.

"It will provide a lot of benefits for the village and also boost the green credentials of Whalley.

"We are expecting to find out the exact handover date from the contractors in the next few days.

"This is a very exciting time and now the project can really move on and start generating electricity."