Construction and Operation

Throughout the construction and operational phases of the proposed solar development on land at Stretchford Farm, British Solar Renewables is committed to ensuring that impacts on the local road network and the local community are kept to a minimum.

The construction phase is likely to last for approximately 12 months, with higher traffic movements expected during the initial and final weeks of construction. There will be an average of 2 two-way HGV movements per day throughout construction, during which a Construction Traffic Management Plan will be in place to minimise disruption to the surrounding area.

There would also be a slightly higher number of cars and vans associated with workers travelling to and from the site during construction.

The above shows the construction route along the A384

The measures likely to be taken to minimise disruption include:

  • A dedicated construction compound within the site boundary, with temporary matting to ensure vehicles have somewhere to make deliveries and to keep the road network free of waiting vehicles.
  • A dedicated site manager to coordinate timed delivery slots.
  • Wheel washing to reduce mud on local roads as a result of vehicles exiting the site.
  • Restricted delivery hours to avoid busy periods.
  • A dedicated construction route agreed with the local authority.

Once the site is operational, it is anticipated that there will only be low levels of traffic accessing the site for maintenance purposes. The largest volume of traffic is therefore expected to be associated with the construction phase of the project.

Based on the current grid connection position, construction is expected to begin once a connection date has been confirmed and planning permission secured. British Solar Renewables will continue to review the project timetable as the proposals progress.