Non Technical Summary - Partnerships for Renewables

Traffic and Transport – Chapter 7 continued >
The northern route will facilitate the delivery of the turbine
components and general site equipment and, for this
reason; the northern route is the intended abnormal loads
route. It is anticipated that the southern route will be used
for the transfer of aggregate and ready mix concrete to the
development site.
Both routes will use Clissold Road to access the site and,
upon reaching the main prison buildings, vehicles will route
north along an improved access track and then northwest
along a purpose built access track which will provide
access to each of the turbine sites.
The intended abnormal loads route has been subject to
further assessment to identify potential sections of the
route that will require highway widening works in order to
facilitate the transfer of the turbine components. Three such
sections, referred to as ‘pinch points’, have been identified
and the following provides a brief summary of their location
and mitigation works required:
• Pinch Point A: Medina Wharf/Arctic Road junction – minor
widening of the Arctic Road carriageway and relocation of
boundary fencing and associated gate posts (upon exit
from Medina Wharf).
• Pinch Point B: Arctic Road/A3020 junction – reinforcement
of the inside radius and widening of the carriageway into
the verge area opposite the junction. Relocation of
street furniture.
• Pinch Point C: A3020/Clissold Road – localised widening
of Clissold Road and minor footway reinforcement on the
inside radius.
Highway widening works at Pinch Points B and C will be
permanent and subject to detailed design and liaison with
the Isle of Wight Council. The detailed design of highway
widening works at Pinch Point A will be temporary and
subject to continued liaison with the owners of Medina Wharf.
The impact of construction-related traffic on the proposed
access routes has been calculated, in percentage terms,
relative to the forecast background traffic in 2013 as the
opening year of construction.
It is predicted that there will be an increase in total traffic
flows during the assessment period of:
• Survey Site 1 (Northern Route) – A3020 (Newport Road):
Increase in total traffic of 0.02% and increase in HGVs
of 0.02%
• Survey Site 2 (Southern Route) – A3020 (Medina Way):
Increase in total traffic of 0.13% and increase in HGVs
of 0.13%
There will also be two days during the construction
programme when a maximum of 154 HGV movements
per day (77 in and 77 out) for turbine foundation concrete
deliveries will occur. In addition 18 abnormal load deliveries
are required within the 6-month construction programme.
Although both these activities will have a disproportionate
but temporary effect on the highway network neither will
exceed the 10% threshold increase in daily traffic flow.
Increases in daily traffic flow below 10% are not normally
perceived by road users due to the fluctuating nature of
background traffic flow.
Effects on road users and adjacent residential properties
are considered to be not significant and works on the
highway at each of the pinch points will affect road users
and adjacent properties at varying degrees but only for a
relatively short time period. Since there will be some impact
during the construction of the site and during the mitigation
works within the highway it is appropriate to make provision
for some additional management in the form of a Traffic
Management Plan (TMP) to reduce the potential for effects
as far as reasonably possible; this will also ensure any
residual effects on highway safety are reduced. In addition to
the TMP an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will also
be provided to reduce as far as possible the impacts of all
abnormal load deliveries.
It is considered that the local transport network would be
able to absorb the additional traffic movements associated
with the construction of the wind energy development and,
therefore, that no significant effects would occur.
Noise – Chapter 8
Hoare Lea Acoustics (HLA) was commissioned by PfR to
undertake a noise impact assessment for the construction and
operation of the proposed Camp Hill Wind Energy Development.
Two types of noise are emitted from wind turbines.
Aerodynamic noise is produced by the movement of the
blades through the air often characterised as a ‘swish’ and
mechanical noise can come from the components within the
turbine itself such as gearboxes and mechanisms to vary
the direction of the turbine. Recent progress in reducing the
noise from turbines has been considerable particularly, in
relation to mechanical noise.
The noise assessment established the difference between
wind turbine noise and the naturally occurring noise
level at homes (residential properties) nearest to the
proposed development and measured these against levels
required by planning guidance. Government guidance
for this assessment procedure is called ETSU-R-97, The
Assessment and Rating of Noise from Wind Farms and
specifies that noise limits should be set relative to existing
background noise levels and reflect a variation in wind
speeds. In general terms, during the daytime, noise from
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