To update you on where we are with construction of the underground cables between the west end of Nailsea and Portishead substation. We are currently working on Engine Lane and Hanham Way towards Watery Lane in the west end of Nailsea to build temporary entrances to our construction areas. We will be starting work on Clevedon Road in Tickenham and on Sheepway to construct the temporary entrances from 27 February.

As part of the work on Sheepway, we need to:

• Restrict access to Portbury Wharf Nature Reserve from the Sheepway entrance until mid-March 2020.
• Close a section of Sheepway until mid-March 2020.
• Suspend the car parking area on Sheepway until 2025 when all work in this area will be complete.

The temporary restricted accesses from Sheepway is to keep the public and our workers safe while we build temporary entrances and access roads to our construction areas.

We understand the nature reserve is well used and we’re working with our contractors, J. Murphy & Sons Limited, to limit disruption as best we can. We’re also working with North Somerset Council to maintain as much access to the area as possible – with our priority being the safety of all users.

What this means for access from Sheepway:

• Pedestrians and cyclists: Open throughout the work. Cyclists will need to dismount for safety reasons.
• Horses: Closed to horses until mid- March 2020.

All other entrances to the reserve will remain open and the car parking area on Wharf Lane is unaffected during the construction of the underground cables. We will be placing public information boards at key locations within the reserve – these will be updated to keep everyone informed and up to date on our construction activity.

Community Relations Team,
National Grid Hinkley Connection Project
www.hinkleyconnection.co.uk

“As you’ll be aware, during 2018 and 2019, we carried out several ecological surveys in the reserve, including those for bats, badgers, great crested newts and reptiles, otters, water voles, and birds. More recently, we’ve been busy implementing schemes to reduce disruption to wildlife at the reserve. This includes the installation of temporary exclusion fencing and daily checks of pitfall traps and tiles to prevent protected species from entering the construction areas. Any species found are safely translocated to designated sites within the reserve.

To ensure the construction corridor remains free of protected species, we need to manage the vegetation by pruning trees and cutting grasslands, scrub and hedgerows down to ground level. This work will start later this week and be completed in October 2019.

After the hibernation period ends in spring 2020, the next step is to carry out another search to ensure the construction area is free of protected species and to remove any remaining vegetation, including trees and hedgerows where necessary.

Once construction is complete, vegetation that has been removed will be reinstated in its original location, or as close to the route as possible, subject to discussion and agreement with relevant landowners.

To prevent disturbance to wintering birds between September and April, core construction activities will be on hold. This excludes vegetation removal works and, with permission from the Local Planning Authority, we may undertake minor construction activity for a limited duration. We’re taking special care to safeguard nesting sites for species of protected birds by creating specialised buffer zones and relocating designated barn owl boxes. Towards the end of this month, we’re relocating some of the existing barn owl boxes and replacing them at a ratio of 2:1, with a total of four new barn owl boxes being installed at the reserve.

To keep visitors to the reserve informed and updated, we’ve recently replenished the public information boards (Image attached for info). These provide an overview of our work and promote the contact details of our community relations team should any visitors wish to get in touch. We’ve also updated our project website with an overview of this work.

Before starting construction, we’re planning to deliver updated briefings to parish/town councils during November and December. We’ll also be writing to residents and businesses along the route of the underground cable with an update on this work and to invite them to attend a public drop-in event in the area.”

Community Relations Team,
National Grid Hinkley Connection Project
www.hinkleyconnection.co.uk