An opera house has begun work to install a 230ft wind turbine.

Glyndebourne wants to site the 850kw turbine on Mill Plain, between Ringmer and Glyndebourne in East Sussex. Construction began with laying the turbine foundation and installing a cable from the site to the opera house.

Delivery of the turbine will take place on Tuesday, September 27. Police are warning drivers to take extra care when three large loads are transported to the site. The loads will be driven into Sussex down the M23 at about 2pm. They will travel to the A27 at Patcham, turning left along the A27, going through Cuilfail tunnel on the A26 at Lewes, up the B2192 towards Ringmer and then right into New Road. The turbine is expected to arrive on-site between 3pm and 4pm. The police will escort the largest of the three loads.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “The loads should be travelling at up to 40mph so we hope that the whole exercise will be completed before the afternoon rush hour starts.

“However there may be some delays as the first of the three loads manoeuvres on to the A27 at Patcham, and again as it goes through the Cuilfail tunnel, which will have to be briefly closed to other traffic.”

The chairman of Glyndebourne, Gus Christie, has written to residents in Ringmer to apologise for the disruption.

He said: “Our wind turbine should allow us to generate enough electricity for our annual consumption and reduce our total direct emissions by approximately 50%. We will continue to keep local residents updated and an information board will be placed close to the turbine alongside regular updates on our website.”

The proposal has won the backing of Sir David Attenborough, who is in favour of the site producing its own renewable energy. But the turbine – in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – prompted a storm of criticism when the plan was first proposed.