COMPANIES have begun work on a new temporary park and ride site to further minimise traffic movements to and from EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C site.

A 252-space facility is being built to the south west of Cannington off the A39 Cannington Bypass and is due to be completed by summer next year.

The park and ride will also have parking for motorcycles and bicycles and will mainly be used by people living in the Cannington area, those to the west of Bridgwater and visitors travelling to the construction site.

David Eccles, EDF Energy’s Head of Stakeholder Engagement for Hinkley Point C, said: “One of our priorities is to minimise the number of road journeys to and from site during the construction and operation of the new power station.

“Our construction workers already use dedicated local bus services and existing park and ride facilities to get to work, while deliveries of materials and equipment is carefully managed and a temporary jetty will enable us to bring 80 per cent of the aggregates to site by sea.” 

The temporary park and ride facility at Cannington was approved as part of the Government permission to build Hinkley Point C after thorough consultation with local councils, organisations and residents.

The site will be returned to agricultural use once the power station has been built.

The work is being carried out by the Somerset Infrastructure Alliance, a joint venture between Bridgwater firm R K Bell Group Ltd, Skanska and Bristol-based Forest Traffic Management Limited.

EDF Energy is carrying out the upgrade as part of a package of works associated with its Hinkley Point C project, including park and ride and freight management facilities at Junction 23 and Junction 24 alongside the M5 and another park and ride near Williton in West Somerset.