BOURN SOLAR FARM

CONSTRUCTION METHOD
STATEMENT

17 March 2011

Our Ref: JNY7244-1B/JLL0443-1D

RPS
st
1 Floor West
Cottons Centre
Cottons Lane
London
SE1 2QG

Tel: 020 7939 8000

Fax: 020 7939 8098/99
Email: rpslp@rpsgroup.com

rpsgroup.com/london
CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 1
2 CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS........................................................................................................... 2
3 CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC ................................................................................................................... 5

FIGURES
Site Location Plan
APPENDIX 1
Site Layout Plan
1 INTRODUCTION

a) Introduction

1.1 RPS has been appointed by Vogt Solar Ltd to produce this Construction Method Statement in
relation to their proposed development of a solar farm on land to the north of Bourn,
Cambridgeshire.

1.2 The proposed solar farm would comprise around 926 mounting frames, each with an array of 24
solar modules (22,224 modules in total), arranged in rows running East-West across an
agricultural field.

1.3 The proposed development is expected to generate a peak electrical output of around 5MW of
electrical power.

1.4 The proposed development site is located approximately 1.8 km north of the centre of the village
of Bourn. The overall site area, including the proposed access for construction traffic, would
extend to 18.1 hectares (ha), whilst the field where the proposed solar farm itself would be sited
would extend to 15.5ha. The field is bound on its western side by the Broadway which runs in a
broadly north to south direction. Bourn Airfield is situated to the north-east, with Rockery Farm to
the south, Grange Farm business complex to the north and agricultural land to the east. A site
location plan is attached at Figure 1.

b) Structure

1.5 This Construction Method Statement will set out the proposed access arrangements to the
application site, the anticipated construction programme, construction vehicle numbers and type,
construction worker numbers and the proposed construction hours.

1
2 CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS

a) Introduction

2.1 This Section sets out the details of the anticipated construction programme of the solar farm
including access arrangements, operating hours, staff numbers and the construction schedule.

b) Access Arrangements

2.2 The application site is bound to the west by Broadway, which approximately 1.8km north of the
site forms a priority junction with St Neots Road.

2.3 To the north-east of the application site lies Bourn Airfield. To ensure minimal disruption of the
local roads it is proposed that access to the solar farm during construction will be taken via Bourn
Airfeld.

2.4 The Airfield has an existing access onto the Broadway, north- east of the development site, which
connects to internal site roads within the Airfield. Construction HGVs and staff will utilise this
existing Airfield access and route through the Airfield to the site. A new section of hardstanding
will be constructed between the south western corner of the Airfield and the eastern boundary of
the application site.

2.5 The access junction to the Airfield is an existing large priority junction, suitable for
accommodating the movement of HGVs and other construction vehicles.

2.6 Within the boundaries of the site a temporary construction hardstanding area would be provided.
This will provide a suitable location for the parking (70 car parking spaces to be provided),
unloading and storage of materials and manoeuvring of construction vehicles. This area will be
removed at the end of construction. A site layout plan detailing the location of the temporary
hardstanding area is provided at Appendix 1.

c) Hours of Operation

2.7 Construction of the facility will be undertaken between 7:00am and 18:30pm Monday to Friday
and between 07:00 and 12:30pm on Saturdays.

d) Staff

2.8 During the construction period it is expected that between 40 and 70 staff on site depending on
the phases of the construction schedule.

2.9 Once the site is operational there will be no staff based on the site.

e) Schedule

2.10 The construction of the solar farm is expected to last around 4 months (16 weeks). Table 2.1
below sets out the expected construction schedule of the solar farm.

2
2.11 Table 2.1 also details the approximate volumes of HGV traffic associated with the construction of
the solar farm. The expected HGV volumes are based on best estimates at this stage and may
vary due to delays in the construction programme, such as the shipping of materials.

2.12 The schedule indicates that across the 16 week construction period a total of 93 HGVs will
require access to the site.

3
 Table 2.1: Construction Schedule & HGV Vehicle Numbers
Week
Total
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
HGVs
Phase

Fence 1 1 2

Foundations 2 2 2 6

Earthworks 2 1 1 1 1 6

Mounting System 4 4 4 4 16

Modules 12 12 12 12 48

Cabling 2 2 2 1 1 8

Inverters 3 3 6

Metering System 1 1

Commissioning 0

Online 0

Total HGVs 1 2 5 5 7 7 6 17 12 1 12 0 3 4 0 0 93

4
3 CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC

a) Introduction

3.1 This Section sets out the details of the traffic associated with the construction of the solar farm
including expected volumes, frequency, type and routing of vehicles accessing the site.

b) Vehicle Routing

3.2 The construction of the solar farm is expected to last 16 weeks and Table 2.1 above set out the
expected construction schedule of the solar farm.

3.3 It is expected that the majority of construction materials associated with the development will be
imported from Germany via the eastern ports, possibly Felixstowe. HGV access between the
port and the site would therefore be via the strategic routes of the A14 and A428, as advised in
the Cambridgeshire County Council advisory freight routes.

3.4 Vehicles arriving from the east would turn off the A428 at the St Neots Road/ Scotland Road
interchange and then continue east along St Neots Road. Vehicles would turn left onto the
Broadway and would then utilise a short section of the Broadway before turning into the site via
the Airfield access.

3.5 Vehicles arriving from the west would turn off the A428 at the Cambourne interchange and then
continue west along St Neots Road. Vehicles would then turn right onto the Broadway and would
then utilise a short section of the Broadway before turning into the site via the Airfield access.

3.6 It is expected that the majority of HGV traffic would route via the A428 east towards Folkestone,
although some may route from local suppliers to the west.

3.7 Construction staff would likely arrive from local population centres such as Cambridge to the
east, St Neots to the west and Huntingdon to the north. Given the respective size of these
centres it is expected that majority of staff would likely arrive from A428 east, with a proportion
arriving from the north and west.

c) Route Signage

3.8 Temporary signage will be put in place at the access junction which will direct all vehicles
associated with the construction to turn north towards the A428, as such vehicles will not route
south towards the village of Bourn. The signage will be put in place prior to commencement of
the construction works, will be retained in place throughout the construction period and removed
following completion of the construction.

3.9 In order to enforce the use of the signed construction traffic route a clause will be included within
the contract of site contractors and suppliers directing them to use only the signed route.

d) Vehicle Types

3.10 The majority of HGVs arriving at the site would either be 7.5T rigid lorries or 60 to 80 T articulated
lorries. As part of the delivery of the inverters during weeks 13 and 14 of the construction it will

5
 be necessary to bring a mobile crane onto the site to transfer the inverters from the lorry to the
site.

e) Trip Generation HGVs

3.11 Table 2.1 above details the expected construction schedule of the proposed solar farm and
highlights the expected HGV trips associated with each phase of construction.

3.12 The schedule indicates that over the 16 week construction period a total of 93 HGV will access
the site. This will result in a total of 186 HGV traffic movements (93 arrivals and 93 departures).

3.13 On the basis of working 6 days a week for the 16 week construction period this equates to less
that 2 HGV movements (1 arrival and 1 departure) per day.

3.14 The schedule indicates that the peak period of construction with regarding HGV traffic would
occur during week 8 of construction. During that week a total of 17 HGVs would require access
to the site, resulting in 34 HGV movements (17 arrivals and 17 departures).

3.15 The 17 HGVs would comprise 4 associated with the mounting system, 12 associated with the
modules and 1 associated with the cabling. It is expected that all 4 trips associated with the
mounting system would arrive on one day within the week. It is expected that the 12 HGV
associated with the modules would arrive with 6 on one day and 6 on a second day.

3.16 On that basis the peak day within the peak week could potentially include a total of 11 HGVs
arriving on site, resulting in 22 HGV movements (11 arrivals and 11 departures). Typically HGV
flows would be significant lower than this.

f) Trip Generation Light Vehicles

3.17 During the construction period it is expected that between 40 and 70 staff on site depending on
the phases of the construction schedule.

3.18 Staff will be encouraged to car-share to travel to the site, however as a worst-case scenario,
should all staff arrive on site by single occupancy car during the peak construction period, this
would result in 140 car movements to the site each day (70 arrivals and 70 departures).

3.19 On the basis of the worst case scenario resulting in 140 car movements per day (70 arrivals and
70 departures). It is expected that the 70 arrivals would occur before or around the AM peak
period, whilst the 70 departures would occur during or after the PM peak.

3.20 The applicant will endeavour to reduce the likely number of car movements to the site by
encouraging to car share where practical. Alternatively if a large number of staff are based at one
location (such as a local hotel) the potential to share a mini-bus to the site will be considered.

g) Conclusion

3.21 The construction of the solar farm would result in the temporary generation of construction and
staff related vehicle trips over a 16 week construction period.

3.22 The application site is easily accessible from the strategic road network. Vehicles accessing the
site are expected to predominately arrive from the A428 to the north and utilise either the

6
 Cambourne interchange for vehicles arriving from the west or the St Neots Road/ Scotland Road
interchange for vehicles arriving from the east.

3.23 Temporary signage will be put in place at the access junction which will direct all vehicles
associated with the construction to turn north towards the A428. In order to enforce the use of
the signed construction traffic route a clause will be included within the contract of site
contractors and suppliers directing them to use only the signed route.

3.24 The construction of the solar farm will result in a total of 186 HGV traffic movements (93 arrivals
and 93 departures) equating to an average of less that 2 HGV movements (1 arrival and 1
departure) per day.

3.25 On the basis of the trip generation detailed above it is expected that the construction of the solar
farm would result in no material impact on the local highway network.

7
FIGURES

Site Location Plan

APPENDIX 1

Site Layout Plan

 ne
TP
tree li
59.71

59.97

ne 60.19

60.45
tree li 60.82

59.41
TP
61.81 59.86

62.18

60.07
62.29
60.36
60.76
62.53

62.56

62.59
ad 62.84

62.22 59.41
slip ro 61.91
62.99
59.71

63.13 62.90

62.43
A428 63.22 59.94
60.69 60.32

63.43 62.73
TP
ne
dge

dway
tree li 63.41 62.55

63.07
new he

63.49 61.90
63.06 62.20 59.27

59.67
63.49
62.85
62.38

63.64 63.26
TP 60.59

60.29 59.81

Broa
63.69 63.40
62.69

63.75 62.51
63.08
63.56
64.11 63.59
61.81
63.62 63.01
62.16
58.96
62.80
62.37
63.61 59.48
60.42
63.28

60.09
59.61

63.80 62.63

63.37
62.39
63.06
TP

64.00
64.05 63.70 62.94 61.73
64.11
63.64
61.99
63.78 62.66
62.22
58.78

60.24 59.25
63.72

62.46 59.35
59.85
63.23
63.95
62.22
63.41 62.92

62.79

64.07 61.54
63.84
64.32 61.98 61.77
63.69 62.50
63.88 58.50
TP 64.18
59.99

59.04
63.84

62.29
61.98
59.64
63.10
62.81 59.11

63.91
62.63
63.27

62.32 61.23
61.72
61.49

64.11 63.75 58.29

TP 63.89 63.58 59.82
64.30
64.24

63.86 62.12
62.78 58.62
61.79

59.37
63.19
62.59
58.70

MH 65.17 62.32
63.31 61.62 61.10
63.94

61.41

63.83 59.47 57.97

1 63.95 1 1 1
64.43 64.21
64.10 63.60
62.11
4 4 62.82
4 4
2 63.81
2 2 61.71
2
64.24 58.31

62.64

59.09
63.14 58.43
62.30
61.46
60.81

e
63.28
61.22

64.44 63.98 59.24

hedg
63.85
MH 65.16 64.35
62.74 62.08 57.77
64.26 63.93

64.11 63.42
TP 61.55
58.05
62.61

existing
63.76

TP

62.21 61.41 58.87

58.22
62.88
60.60

61.02
63.07

61.98
62.66 59.12
63.65
64.24 63.97 57.60
64.44 64.29
63.98

62.57 61.44
63.18
64.19 57.94
61.28
62.15
58.78
ge

63.71
60.44
58.13

62.84
60.79
61.83
new hed

62.57
FH 63.09
59.11
63.56
62.39 57.46

64.58 64.26 61.39

64.00 63.95
64.42

63.17
61.29
64.09 57.75
62.00
59.90
58.70
63.84 60.38
58.01

TP
60.65
62.50
61.69
62.76

63.05 58.98
64.25
63.47
61.38 57.25
62.19
63.85
TP 64.28
64.44
61.20
64.09 61.94
63.25
59.81 57.60
58.56
60.26

63.90 63.60 57.99

62.45 60.52
61.82

62.75 58.90
63.00
MH 65.28 64.21
64.46 63.39 62.34
64.27
64.34 61.44
61.04 57.05

dway
63.90
62.07 59.70

60.20 58.55
57.39
63.21
59.38

64.02 58.11
60.53
61.63
62.52
64.09 58.61
63.00
64.17
59.05
TP
62.37 61.26

Broa
63.90 62.70
64.34 59.41
63.35
hedge
64.44 existing
60.90
61.81 59.82

60.29
63.90

63.10 61.47 60.55

62.58
63.97 60.91
64.02
63.43
62.96 61.09
TP 64.13 62.16
64.49
61.45
64.36 64.20 62.71

63.93
63.34 61.62

61.89

e
63.55

64.01
SC
62.64

hedg
MH 65.22
64.11

64.10 63.29 62.72

63.98

ting
64.24
64.42 63.02

exis
TP
63.25

63.29
63.59

63.44

3 63.53

63.65

63.74

63.75

MH 65.07 g
63.79

63.96

64.05
Rockery Farm
TP
64.37
64.27

BT

TP

SB

Bourn Solarpark ly
ormat ion on
Bourn For Inf
Datum: 15.03.2011 13:32:18 ACAD Datei: s:\engineering\engineering_design\team\kmatzke\temporary\cad\2031.ap.002.0.2_construction storage and parking.dwg -(Floor plan full size1-500 )