Ground Investigation Works – Weekly Update

Archaeology works will continue across the proposed substation land and to the east side of Grove Road, moving east towards the coast along the proposed cable route with works commencing in fields to the east of Aldringham and into Sizewell.

To support the works you will see a number of personnel and smaller vehicles on the site along with excavators used to dig and then backfill the trenches. Works will be taking place on Saturday between the hours on 7am and 1pm. Where trenches are being excavated within 100m of properties, acoustic barrier fencing (either around each trench or along a field boundary) will be in place to help minimise noise from the works.

As core works are completed, a smaller team will remain on site over the following weeks for final backfilling and remediation works, and cleaning of the site. Excavator movements will be taking place across the site as these works progress east. 

Site investigation works, such as trial pits excavations, borehole drilling and infiltration testing has completed across the proposed cable route and substation site for the time being. However, the teams are due to return at different points later in the year to carry out works within the Leiston-Aldeburgh Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or the Sandlings Special Protection Area (SPA). Additional areas may also be re-visted to provide a complete picture of data collected, this is to be confirmed.

Shallow geotechnical surveys undertaken from the Fugro Galaxy vessel will commence offshore Monday 21 June and will continue until mid to late August. These will take place across the East Anglia TWO, ONE North and THREE windfarm sites, as well as along the export cable routes for these projects and will consist of a series of Cone Penetration Tests (CPTs) and Vibrocores being drilled to a depth of six metres below the seabed. CPTs involve a steel cone being pushed into the ground while Vibrocores involve taking cores or samples from the seabed.

The closest the boat will come to shore is about a kilometre off the coast. ScottishPower Renewables has been granted the necessary marine licence for these works. The process of applying for a marine licence includes due consideration of potential impacts on the receiving environment and consultation via the Regulator (the Marine Management Organisation (MMO)) with those relevant technical advisors (including Natural England).