Last updated at 12:22, Tuesday, 19 February 2013

CONSTRUCTION work on a £16m windfarm in Cumbria has begun.

SLOW BUT SURE: Three blades bound for a windfarm at Armistead near Old Hutton progress through the Cumbrian countryside, top, above and left. Local residents’ co-operation ensured traffic disruption was kept to a minimum as the abnormal load wound its way through Endmoor, Oxenholme and surrounding villages, as well as through country lanes and on the M6 (left) PICTURES BY MILTON HAWORTH

The first groundwork on the site, east of the M6 near Old Hutton, in south Lakes, began in March 2012 when initial preparations got under way.

In recent months, the majority of the components necessary to build the six turbines have been delivered and work to erect them has now begun.

The project’s developer is renewable energy specialist Banks Renewables, which is also behind the plans for a windfarm at Killington.

Once complete, the turbines will stand at 100m tall to the tip of the blade and have a total output of 12.3MW – or enough energy to power almost 6,800 homes.

The company reported that the delivery of the components to the site caused minimum disruption.

It said it hopes to have the rest of the components delivered in the coming weeks, with construction now well underway.

Phil Dyke, development director at Banks Renewables, says: “Erecting the first turbine on site is obviously a real landmark for us, and takes us one step closer to being able to generate substantial amounts of renewable energy from the Armistead scheme.

“A great deal of work went into the planning of our delivery schedule to both minimise local traffic disruption and ensure that everyone is fully kept up to date on when deliveries are scheduled to take place, and we’re very pleased with how things have gone so far.”

The company says it is also committed to enhancing the local area and has committed to building a new footpath through Old Hutton.

In addition, it will make grants of up to £12,300 a year – a total of more than £300,000 over the 25-year life-span of the windfarm – available to the local community through the Armistead Wind Farm Community Fund.

First published at 16:05, Friday, 08 February 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk