A COUNCILLOR has won a pledge that builders of a wind farm will minimise traffic disruption during construction.

It had been expected that work on the eight-turbine complex, at Knabs Ridge, off the A59 Harrogate to Skipton Road, at Felliscliffe, would start shortly.

But it has emerged that npower Renewables will first have to meet 20 conditions imposed by Harrogate Borough Council.

County Councillor Heather Garnett, representing Lower Nidderdale and Bishop Monkton, said it could be a year before materials start to be transported to the site.

Meanwhile, she has won a pledge from the power company of talks with the project manager long before work does start, in a bid to find the least disruptive transport route to the site.

It is not yet known which firm of contractors will be ferrying 20,000 tons of hard core and concrete to the land. Once it is decided, Coun Garnett will be involved in talks with them on traffic issues.

She said: "It is far better that the transportation issue is talked through now, rather than waiting until the first lorries arrive and cause problems."

Coun Garnett said there was already concern about the impact the extra traffic would have on Killinghall if vehicles used the B6161 Otley Road.

Meanwhile, it seems likely that lorries involved in transporting the materials will have police escorts and that delivery times could avoid peak-hour traffic.

The wind farm is expected to generate enough power to serve 7,000 homes.