Work to build two electricity-generating wind turbines on Oakdale Business Park has begun.
The proposal for two wind turbines on land owned byCaerphilly County Borough Council was granted planning permission in October 2011. The construction is expected to take between five and six months, with commissioning of the turbines due in January 2014.
Simon Vince, Construction Director at Partnerships for Renewables, the organisation behind the turbines, said: “We are delighted that work is now starting on the construction of the Oakdale site, which will be our second wind energy development to be completed and commissioned since the formation of PfR.
“Over the last few months we have worked hard with Caerphilly County Borough Council and other stakeholders to discharge planning conditions and start putting together detailed construction and traffic management plans, covering issues such as permitted working hours and delivery times, to ensure that any disruption to the local community is kept to an absolute minimum.”
Partnerships for Renewables has sent a newsletter to nearby residents and local community groups in Oakdale to publicise details of the construction timetable and provide contact details for any questions or comments. A copy of the newsletter can be downloaded from the project website at www.pfr.co.uk/oakdale.
Delivery of the turbine components is expected to take place in November/December and will be timed to avoid peak traffic periods. The exact delivery dates for the turbines will be publicised at least two weeks in advance.
Cllr Ken James, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Sustainable Development, said: “It is excellent news that work on this exciting development is now underway on site. This development reflects the council’s commitment to sustainability and to finding cleaner, greener ways to produce energy”.
“The development is also a significant boost to Oakdale Business Park which has been transformed over recent years into a flagship business plateau, and these wind turbines will help enhance the Business Parks’ strategic importance in the area.”
The turbines have the potential to generate just over eight gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity every year – enough to power the equivalent of approximately 2,000 homes over the course of a year.
Partnerships for Renewables is in discussions with a local firm close to the site
with regards to potentially providing green electricity directly from the turbines to them.
Local residents are also being asked for their views on how the Community Benefit Fund for the site should be organised and what the spending priorities should be.
The Community Fund for the Oakdale wind energy development will amount to at least
£10,000 per year for the lifetime of the project – up to 25 years.
Good news at this time, with the Tories trying to slow down green energy. Why doesn't Caer try and put some wind turbines in Oxon, where the PM lives. That'll be a way of finding whether he is a really right-wing Tory.
Perhaps the community bribe fund could be used to tackle fuel poverty in the surrounding area. Given all involved with the turbines will be profiting at the expense of bill payers.
The council does nothing, gets to feign green credentials and makes a nice profit to boot. Win win for them, as indeed will it be for the financial backers.