Report

The Woodsmith Project - S73 Project Amendments : Planning Statement

Construction Access

Under the current approval, a temporary construction access road was to be installed through the valley and a block of ancient woodland, between the working platform and the fields to the northeast of the site where mining waste from the tunnel development was to be permanently stored. Following the opportunity to reduce the number of TBMs, these works have not been necessary. This has had a positive impact and removed the need for any construction activity through or in close proximity to the ancient woodland.

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Welfare and Car Parking

During the construction phase, there will be a reconfiguration of the existing office and welfare facilities, and a restructuring of tally hut and site access requirements.

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A small welfare facility (6m x 12m) containing office space and welfare amenities will adjoin the operational headhouse. The aim would be for this building to serve as the primary access to the access shaft and therefore also act as the Tally Hut. Parking will be provided adjacent to the headhouse for maintenance personnel and light vehicles only.

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Security/Gatehouse

The existing construction gatehouse will continue to be used for the duration of the construction period. During Operations, the gatehouse will be removed and replaced with a security gate with site entry gained via access card.

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Warehousing/Workshops

The existing construction workshop will be used for the duration of the construction period only and will be removed during the operation phase.

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Power

The existing NPG 11kV Kiosk Substation (4m x 4m in footprint, 2.5m in height) will continue to provide mains electricity to the site. The new Lockwood Beck surface kiosk substation located adjacent to the NPG kiosk will consist of an 11kV RMU, 400V step down transformer and 400V MCC. Emergency back-up power is provided by a 1544kVA generator. The generator will be operated for emergency situations only to power the emergency winch if a power outage/failure causes the Alimak to stop in service and then requires retrieval, or for short periods for inspections and maintenance. Adjacent to the existing NPG kiosk, which will be retained for the operation of the mine, a new electrical kiosk (ca. 1.8 by 3.65m) will be installed on hard standing.

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Wastewater and Fire Water

The construction phase will see the installation of new surface wastewater storage facility (2 x 11m diameter 6.5m high tanks with a capacity of 570m3) and unloading facility/gantry on the surface. Once tunnelling is complete, a new dewatering system will be installed, including a new sump connection in the tunnel floor, shaft sump pump, adit feed tanks and dewatering pumps to the surface wastewater tanks.

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