After Argyll & Bute Council members approved the changes to the Sròndoire Community Wind Farm tower heights at the monthly Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday 18th June. Work started on Friday 20th June to construct the new access tracks for the 6MW three turbine wind farm adjacent to the Allt Dearg Community Wind Farm.
The £ ½ million contract to construct the mile of new access tracks to the three Sròndoire turbines at the top of the hill and the substation at the bottom of the hill, and prepare the foundation pits and crane pads is to be completed by the end of the year.
This first stage of the Sròndoire project is being carried out by the family owned firm, Jones Bros. from Ruthin in North Wales who built Allt Dearg. Jones Bros. are again using Lochgilphead based George McNaughton & Son to carry out the earth moving and road construction works. These civil works will be completed during the summer months to take advantage of the better weather conditions. Work will restart early next year to prepare the concrete foundations ready for the turbines being erected in June and July 2015, when the forecast winds speeds are lowest.
James Lithgow of Ormsary said: “We are delighted to see work start on the Sròndoire Community Wind Farm. Summer is the time to be working at the top of the hill, a lesson we learnt the hard way at Allt Dearg. All going well we should be lifting turbines in 12 months’ time and generating power by the end of October 2015.”