An amendment to Teddington and Ham Hydro plans will allow a smaller structure and more flood mitigation, according to the team behind the project.

The scheme, which involves a section of the Teddington Lock weir demolished and three Archimedean screw turbines installed in order to generate power, has been met with both support and resistance since the initial proposals more than four years ago.

Planning permission was granted in September 2015, but concerns were raised about the structure’s size and associated noise.

The nearby Lensbury Club launched a judicial review in September that challenged the council’s planning process, which will be concluded in April.

The leisure club’s chief executive, Lacy Curtis-War, called for the proposals in the form that was approved by the planning committee to be quashed and for significant changes to be made to the design.

The redesign, which was discussed with residents on January 29, involves a smaller height and depth, with pivoting screw technology to allow the hydro to adjust to minimise noise.

New Government policy means similar projects will suffer from withdrawn subsidies and tax efficiencies but Jono Adams, the company’s communications director, said this scheme should not be impacted too much.

He said: “We opened our share offer early as a result of the announcements and raised more than £700,000.

“The cuts and efficiencies are a shame on a national level but it won’t impact our project."

Mr Adams said fundraising for the scheme, which was granted planning permission in September 2015, will re-open once the judicial review has been concluded.

Editor of Tidings magazine and Teddington Society member, Donald Bell, said he scheme was a brilliant idea in theory but he did not believe it was being executed properly, though the amended design was “more sensible.”

Sheena Harold, Teddington Society chairman, said: “It is the wrong scheme in the wrong place.

“It is untried and for such an expensive project I believe it is such a small return in terms of electricity generated.”