As most of you will be aware Cobholden Solar Farm construction is in full swing. The approved Construction Environmental Management Plan (“CEMP”) approved in respect of Condition 21 of the solar planning permission states in para 4.1.7:
“Notwithstanding the above general construction activities would only be undertaken between 08:00 – 18:00 Monday to Friday and 09:00 – 13:00 hours on Saturdays, with piling activities and other noise and vibration generating activities only being undertaken between 09:00 – 17:00 each day Monday – Friday.”
The Parish Council are aware that piling and other noise generating activities have been taking place before 9am on some weekdays and on Saturday mornings and other vehicle movements and construction work is happening on Sundays. The Clerk has spoken to the project manager at AGR Group (on Friday) and the site manager this morning (Monday). They will be working to ensure that they comply with the planning conditions from now on. If you notice piling or other noisy work occurring outside these hours from now on please let the Clerk now. You can use our contact form Contact – Staploe Parish Council
Please provide details of the time, date and what you saw / heard. Video evidence is useful but not essential. Thanks.
Thanks Lucy. Who approved the environmental plan?
At the public meeting in Wyboston on 6th December 2023, in response to my questions on noise and working hours, I was told the following, which I confirmed to Cambridge Power:
“ I understand that you are likely to use screw piles for the solar panel supports rather than impact driven supports. I understand that during construction you plan to work Mon-Fri 0800-1700/1800. These measures should be adopted to limit the impact of construction noise on the local residents.”
I received an acknowledgment, but no further feedback.
Sadly, it is clear that they have chosen to disregard their commitments to take the noise impact on residents into account as they are using percussive piling and by working Saturday mornings.
Does the environmental statement also cover the cleanliness of Bushmead Road? This is not being kept clean enough on a regular basis and on some occasions is so muddy as to be unsafe.
We did ask about the screw piles as Wyboston Parish Council had been given the same assurance but the person responsible at AGR Group head office said that “I am not aware of any previous requirements / commitment about using ‘Screw Piles’, as I mentioned on the phone AGR didn’t take this project through planning. I attach a copy of the approved schedule relative to solar Condition 6 showing how the PV module mounting structure is typically fixed to the ground (i.e. via piles or where we need to protect archaeology through ‘No-Pile’ Solution – Gabion Foundations.”
I have checked and Approved Condition 6 Schedule V1 shows the panels mounted on steel piles except where there are archeological features.
To find the conditions discharged please go to the link VIEW AND COMMENT ON PLANNING APPLICATIONS and change to the SIMPLE SEARCH from the ADVANCED SEARCH and then type in the number 24/00858/MAF you will then get a list of any applications associated including the condition for the Construction Environmental
Management Plan (CEMP)
https://publicaccess.bedford.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=simple
It covers working hours and cleanliness of the road and these issues have been raised with the site manager.