HEDGEROW trimming is set to begin next week in preparation for the construction of an improved road junction at Whiddon Down in West Devon as part of RES' Den Brook Wind Farm.

Starting on March 17, renewable energy company RES will be trimming 1,500 metres of hedgerow at Whiddon Down along the A382 from the Services at the A30 junction to the A3124.

This work, which will take approximately two weeks, is being undertaken ahead of the construction of a new Whiddon Down Link Road by RES.

The provision of a new link road is part of a package of road improvement measures along the approved construction route to the Den Brook Wind Farm, which lies between North Tawton and Spreyton, close to Bow.

For the safety of road users and workers, temporary traffic lights will be used for the duration of the trimming work.

The work has been planned to avoid disruption for "rush hour" traffic, with works beginning around 9.30am and finishing at 4.30pm.

RES assistant site manager, Lee Robinson, commented: "The preparatory works for the Whiddon Down Link Road have been carefully programmed to cause minimal disruption to the local community and to wildlife.

"We are undertaking the trimming of hedges within off-peak hours to minimise any delay to journey times, while all the time ensuring a safe working environment.

"The work will be completed before the hedgerows come into full leaf to avoid disturbance to local wildlife, such as small mammals and nesting birds."

Although turbine deliveries could have negotiated the existing junction, RES decided to secure planning permission for a new link road as part of its commitment to investing in local communities near Den Brook Wind Farm.

The new link road was approved by West Devon Borough Council last year.

In addition to improving safety and visibility at Whiddon Down, RES has also committed to providing an annual community benefits package of £5,000 per megawatt installed once the wind farm is fully operational.

The total investment in the community is dependent of final turbine choice, but is expected to be in the region of £90,000 per year.

This will be divided between a Community Benefit Fund, which local people can invest in local good causes and RES' pioneering Local Electricity Discount Scheme, which offers an annual discount off the electricity bills of nearest neighbours.

Eligible properties will be contacted directly about LEDS and how to register for the discount in the next few weeks.

Once fully operational, the nine turbines at Den Brook Wind Farm will be capable of generating sufficient renewable energy to meet the average requirements of approximately 9,425 homes – equivalent to more than 40 per cent of all the homes in West Devon.

The planning application for Den Brook Wind Farm was submitted to West Devon Borough Council in November 2005 after RES spent two years completing survey work, design and consultation with independent experts and the local community.

It was granted planning permission in February 2007, after a full public inquiry.

A legal challenge was lodged by opponents to the scheme in March 2007 and was dismissed in the High Court in February 2008.

Leave to appeal was granted and consent for the project was quashed in July 2008.

RES agreed not to continue with court proceedings, but rather to bring them to an end by consent and return to public inquiry to resolve the matter.

The second public inquiry was held in the autumn of 2009 and consent was granted in December 2009. A legal challenge was lodged in January 2010 and was dismissed in the High Court in July 2010.

Opponents of the Den Brook Wind Farm and its 120-metre high turbines have, most recently, been protesting about changes RES wished to make, namely to Amplitude Modulation (AM) noise controls.

Opponents had concerns that there could be highways issues at the Whiddon Down junction.

Work is expected to start on the Whiddon Down link road this summer and last approximately five months.

It is anticipated that the turbines will be delivered to the site in late 2014.

Alan Quick