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How to identify suitable areas for onshore <strong>wind</strong> development in your <strong>neighbourhood</strong> plan<br />

Issue: Ecology<br />

Who you might consult<br />

Council Ecology Officer.<br />

Natural England regarding ecology impacts on any nationally or internationally<br />

significant wildlife sites (statutory consultee).<br />

Local Wildlife Trusts.<br />

Local wildlife groups.<br />

What you might ask them<br />

Scope and timing of ecological surveys needed for application. This can be critical, as<br />

some ecological surveys can only take place at certain times of the year.<br />

Measures to mitigate ecological impacts and seek net ecological enhancement (this<br />

should be your objective).<br />

Issue: Access and/or highways<br />

Who you might consult<br />

Council Highways team (statutory consultee).<br />

Highways Agency where the development might affect the trunk road network<br />

(statutory consultee).<br />

Network Rail where the development might affect their interests (statutory consultee).<br />

Commercial <strong>wind</strong> farm developer.<br />

What you might ask<br />

them<br />

Access route between the trunk road network and the site<br />

Any weight or height restrictions on the access route?<br />

Temporary traffic management during deliveries.<br />

Safety of site access.<br />

Vehicle tracking for the delivery of components along the delivery route.<br />

Safety issues in connection to the railway network.<br />

It is also a critical issue to consider whether (and how) large components can actually be<br />

delivered to the site. Many components are wide and/or long loads or extremely heavy.<br />

For instance the blades of a large (2.5 MW) commercial <strong>wind</strong> turbine can be 50 metres<br />

long. The turbine nacelle (where the blades are mounted) can weigh around 85 tonnes.<br />

Their delivery to site requires very careful <strong>planning</strong>, often requiring the removal of street<br />

furniture, temporary widening of roads or hedgerow removal to allow access.<br />

Many commercial <strong>wind</strong> sites are located near to the trunk road network for this reason.<br />

Where access is restricted, smaller turbines are available (but bear in mind the reduced<br />

power outputs from smaller turbines noted in section 6).<br />

www.cse.org.uk<br />

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