Construction
As a condition of planning consent, Low Carbon is required to produce a Construction Traffic Management Statement (CTMS) and a supporting communications plan to support the construction phase of the project. The Construction Communications Plan will form an appendix to the CTMS and will cover all aspects of communication with the local community, residents, community councils and local authority representatives throughout the construction process.
Preliminary works and technical surveys commenced in late 2023, with the cable route due to commence in February 2024. The period for installing the cable route is expected to last for approximately 14 weeks.
Provisional Timeline
Early February – Commencement of cable route works at SPEN Substation
February – Cymyran Road will be closed from Thursday 15/2/2024 to late March 2024.
April – Cable route works and two-way traffic lights along Holyhead Road to Lon Bach Junction from Sunday 14/4/2024.
April – May – Lon Bach Lane will be closed from Sunday 14/4/2024 to Sunday 12/5/2024
Public Drop-In Information Events
We are holding a number of drop-in information events for members of the public to meet with members of the project team and ask questions on the construction works process.
The first event was held on Thursday 8 February between 2pm – 6pm at Caergeiliog Village Hall.
Further information events will be announced as construction works progress.
Construction Works Frequently Asked Questions
What is Parc Solar Traffwll?
Parc Solar Traffwll is a consented solar farm across three distinct sites on land to the west of and southeast of Llanfihangel Yn Nhowyn, and to the south and south-east of Bryngwran, Anglesey. The DNS application was approved by Welsh Ministers in spring 2023 and Low Carbon will commence construction in early 2024.
Where is the Parc Solar Traffwll site located?
The proposals are for the construction and operation of a solar farm across a total area of approximately 63ha. The site is separated into three distinct sites, geographically spread east/west, with the three main site development areas being connected by underground cabling. The underground cabling is due to be placed along the highway, which ranges from smaller rural roads to the A5, running through Caergeiliog.
How long will the construction works last for?
Cable Route
The construction work for the cable route will begin week commencing 12th February, with the compound to enable the cable route commencing 5th February.
Solar Farm
The construction work for the solar farm is anticipated to commence late-spring/early summer and is due to be completed by 2025.
What are the hours of construction?
Hours of construction activities to be as follows:
Monday to Friday – 07:30-18:00;
Saturdays – 07:30-16:00; and
Sundays – at ad hoc intervals as timeline constraints dictate.
In the summer months work could start on site from 07:00.
Which roads will be affected by the construction works?
Cable Route
Cymyran Road – there will be a road closure from 15/2/2024 to late March 2024.
Holyhead Road (crossroads by Cymyran Road) to Lon Bach – rolling road block using traffic lights starting on 14/4/2024. As the road closure advances, road users will have to turn and head towards Minffordd Road as we evacuate and reinstate the road.
Lon Bach Lane will be closed from 14/4/2024 to 12/5/2024. Road users will be redirected back towards Holyhead Road and we move on along Lon Bach Lane.
Solar Farm
TBC
There are existing utilities on the corner of Cymyran Road which suffered vibration damage from previous construction works – can you assure that further damage will not be incurred, and if so, whether Low Carbon will provide compensation?
If any damage is caused by construction works associated with Parc Solar Traffwll project, we will assess these on a case-by-case basis.
What disruption can local residents expect day-to-day?
Residents can expect delays on affected roads and diversion routes in place for roads which need to be closed.
Depending on the location of the trench in the road, there will be restricted access to residential drives while digging takes place. Once this has been completed, we will place road plates over open trenches and barriers will be erected to allow access until full reinstatement is complete.
Whilst every care is being taken to manage this process sensitively, we appreciate this will cause some disruption at times for existing road users and apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.
What length of road will be closed at one time?
Road works will take place across 150 metres at one time, subject to residential access from properties onto Holyhead Road. This will operate as a rolling road block.
What impact will the construction works have on local parking provisions?
There is no anticipated impact upon parking provisions.
Will site deliveries be restricted to off-peak hours to avoid rush hour traffic?
HGV deliveries will avoid the local school during the hours 08:15-09:15 and 15:00- 16:00, realistically, on a typical weekday there are 7 hours (09:30-14:30 and 16:00- 18:00) when HGV movements can take place. On Saturdays there will be an 8-hour window with no restriction for deliveries.
What steps will Low Carbon take to preserve the surface of the local road network, and if damage occurs, will Low Carbon commit to returning the road(s) to its original state?
The Highway Authority and Low Carbon will undertake pre-construction video camera surveys of the agreed areas of the carriageway, footway, or verge and if the any damage identified is a result of the works undertaken as part of this development it will be agreed between the Highway Authority and Low Carbon how/when to carry out repairs.
What measures have been taken to ensure that noise disruption is kept to a minimum?
All construction activities on site will be carried out during the allotted construction hours. If there is any concern or questions regarding disruption, please contact a member of the project team in the first instance.
Planning conditions specify that development must be situated at least 100m from RSPB Valley Wetlands – can you confirm that Parc Solar Traffwll will adhere to this separation distance?
Our technical documents confirm that construction activities will not take place within 300m of the RSPB Valley Wetlands Reserve, meaning there will be a negligible impact upon this habitat. We are also required to leave a 50m construction buffer to the Heronry site adjacent to DA4 during the nesting season (up until the end of July) unless an Ecologist is able to confirm that we can proceed with development without impact.
What consideration was given to local supply chains, and what process is in place for local suppliers to register their interest?
Cable Route – We can confirm that local suppliers were invited to tender for the contract, however no applications were submitted.
Solar Farm – We invite any local suppliers interested in tendering for the solar PV construction contract to share their details so that we can forward these to our construction partner.
What community benefits will the project deliver for local residents?
In addition to the significant capital investment in the local area, and broader employment and supply chain benefits, we are looking to explore opportunities to deliver a Community Buy-In Scheme. Alternatively, we will make a local financial contribution by asking the Community Councils who host our project to manage these funds.
If this option is taken, we suggest any ideas are forwarded to the Community Council to discuss and confirm.
How can I contact the project team to ask questions about the construction period, or if I experience undue disruption?
We are committed to providing responsive and informative communications throughout the entirety of the construction period and welcome any comments and questions on the process.
The project website (https://www.parcsolartraffwll.co.uk/) contains the latest updates on construction and road works and will be updated on a regular basis. You can get in touch with the project team by filling in the online comment form on the website. We welcome feedback in both English and Welsh.
You can also get in touch with the project team by email at info@parcsolartraffwll.co.uk.
Throughout the construction period, a Freephone Number – 0800 047 2614 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm excluding public holidays) will also be available to contact the Low Carbon team.
An initial construction leaflet has been delivered to approximately 1050 properties within a 1km mailing radius of the development sites and cable route. Further updates will be issued at relevant intervals throughout the construction programme to inform the local community of any significant updates. Digital copies of the newsletters will be uploaded to the website, which will also be kept updated regularly.
We will also be holding numerous information events within the various communities that border the sites and cable route, and residents will be notified when dates and venues have been agreed.
Who is Low Carbon?
Low Carbon was founded in 2011, and since then we have been making a real impact on our mission to create renewable power capacity for the world, at scale. We do this through building, developing and managing solar, wind and waste to energy projects.
We have new renewables projects in development right now across the UK, Ireland, North America and mainland Europe and we continue to grow rapidly.
Our platform is underwritten by purpose, quality and integrity and generates measurable results on a daily basis.
We have the ability to achieve this thanks to the way our diverse teams work together.
The Low Carbon solar portfolio is made of more than 2GW developed, or in development, in the UK and it has the potential to power the equivalent of more than 500,000 homes with clean energy and save in excess of 785,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Further information can be found at: https://www.lowcarbon.com/.
