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Solar Farm – Boston, Lincolnshire

Overview

JNP Group were commissioned to prepare a Transport Statement for a proposed 48 MW solar farm in Holbeach.

Owing to the rural nature of the site, achieving an access suitable for use by Heavy Goods Vehicles for the construction and operation of the solar farm was limited by narrow road widths, undulating road alignments and varying topography.

JNP undertook a feasibility assessment of several access points;  producing preliminary arrangements, confirming undertaking swept path analysis and an Automatic Traffic Count survey, which allowed accurate visibility splays to be calculated. The preferred option was progressed into a preliminary access design.

The Transport Statement contained a preliminary Construction Traffic Management Plan, which summarised the proposed working hours, routing for vehicles, expected number of construction vehicle movements and the provision of wheel washing facilities.

Summary
The application was ultimately denied for reasons unrelated to transportation. The Local Highway Authority raised no objections, stating that the proposal would not significantly affect the safety or capacity of the local highway network.

Services Provided

  • Access appraisal optioneering and design
  • Visibility splay analysis
  • Swept path analysis
  • Preliminary Construction Traffic Management Plan
  • Routing assessment for construction vehicles
  • Transport Statement

Challenges

  • Roads along the site boundary had constrained widths and varying topography, which limited the viability of achieving compliant visibility splays

  • Wider road network was unsuitable for HGV access in some areas

Solutions

  • Commissioned an Automatic Traffic Count survey to establish 85th percentile vehicle speeds and appropriate visibility splays, which informed the location of the site access

  • Routing assessment undertaken for HGVs which considered pinch points, road widths and height restrictions