THERE have been confrontations between residents and drivers of large trucks carrying parts for an under construction solar park, a council has heard.

Permission was given for a large scale solar park, with panels mounted across 14 agricultural fields covering some 70 hectares, in January 2023 but construction work only began this summer.

However a construction traffic management plan, intended to mitigate disruption from large heavy trucks having to access the site from narrow country lanes from a B road still hasn’t been put in place or implemented, according to Councillor Alistair Neill.

Once completed the panels, at Great House Farm, Penpergwm just outside Abergavenny, will be in place for 40 years and as the development is intended to generate up to 32 megawatts of electricity it had to be approved by the Welsh Government.

Gobion Fawr member Cllr Neill asked for the construction traffic plan to be “immediately fully communicated and implemented” with residents at Monmouthshire County Council’s September meeting.

The Conservative told the meeting: “There is still no construction traffic management plan in place, communicated to local residents, and being implemented. The consequence has been entirely avoidable chaotic problems for local residents either in ‘stand-offs’ with large trucks or convoys, or reversing hundreds of yards, potentially compromising safety.”

Cllr Catrin Maby, the council’s Labour cabinet member responsible for highways, said it is now expected a plan, that was required by Welsh planning body PEDW which considered the application on behalf of the government, would be in place following further talks between the council’s highways department, local residents and applicants European Energy.

Cllr Maby said that was intended to be a “pragmatic approach to reduce conflict while maintaining the free flow of traffic” on the lanes from the B4598.

She also said that while the planning application had been decided by PEDW it is the council’s responsibility, as the local planning authority, to monitor and enforce the conditions including the traffic plan and asked Cllr Neill to put any concerns in writing to the planning department.

Cllr Neil said: “We don’t want to be chasing our tails, this has been going on sine Easter.”

Following the meeting Cllr Neill said it was “very disappointing” neither the council, or Welsh Government, appeared unable to prevent work taking place before the required plan was in place after he and the local community council raised concerns.

He said: “Can you imagine reversing up a winding road for potentially hundreds of yards to allow these construction vehicles to pass in convoy? It’s a real nightmare, unsafe and simply not acceptable. It has been causing a lot of chaos for residents and a great deal of worry.”