Construction and Operation
Construction update
Construction activity began on site in October, starting with the installation of welfare facilities and the delivery of initial materials. One of the first major phases of work has been the construction of internal access roads. These roads are essential not only for the construction phase, but also for ongoing maintenance throughout the solar park’s lifetime. These roads are being built using recycled aggregates sourced from local quarries.
Local residents may have noticed increased traffic during this phase, as this has been one of the busiest periods of deliveries due to the volume of material needed. Deliveries are expected to be lower going forward and so you should notice a reduction in traffic.
We’re aware that wet weather can lead to muddy conditions and so have deployed a daily road sweeper to mitigate any impacts on local roads.
The project team is aware that there have been some instances where our contractors and suppliers have not followed approved construction traffic routes. We take this seriously, and apologise if this has caused any inconvenience. We have addressed these issues directly with corrective actions, and continue to reinforce our requirements with anyone accessing the site.
General construction information
No site clearance or construction works, including the starting of machinery or delivery of materials shall take place outside of the following hours:
- Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 18:00
- Saturday: 08:00 – 13:00
Construction is managed from a temporary site compound at the southern end of the site, providing facilities for on-site staff and allowing construction materials to be stored safely
Our generators on site are powered by Solartainers, solar-powered generators, which helps keep our carbon footprint as low as possible and minimise noise
Our construction route can be found above. This route has been carefully considered to minimise disruption to local residents, and address concerns raised during public consultation regarding capacity of Bakers Road.
We removed an initial proposal for a second construction compound to the north-east of the site, to avoid traffic diverting along Hickford Hill.
What’s next?
Excavation works for the main substation will begin shortly. Deliveries of UK-manufactured steelwork are now underway. Piling is due to begin in early April – this is a process where metal posts are driven into the ground the create stable foundations for the metal frames that will then hold the solar panels. This keeps the panels securely in place without the need for concrete foundations. The piling process is likely to be the noisiest phase of construction.
Once the site is operational, it is anticipated that there will only be low levels of traffic accessing the site for maintenance purposes. It is therefore expected that the largest volume of traffic will be associated with the construction phase of the project.
